Zak Smith asked the question the other day "What would make Vampire more fun for you?"
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And I thought "hmmmm..." |
Well my second reaction was that it is for angsty young goths and that it isn't fun, but I have to admit I did once play a game for two years that was actually rather good. Ultimately is was intra party factionalism and overplayed theme of mistrust that broke it but for the most it was very good.
So it was the way we played it and not the game that spoiled that part. I think played as Night Black Agents or something like that it could be cool, or a foray into the near future or medieval settings like those awful Underworld movies or that rather good one made in Australia (Daybreakers?).
The second thing I didn't like much was the system. Too clunky. Dice pool after dice pool (after dice pool after dice pool) just to see who sneaks up on who: boring. "Does anyone have any modifiers to surprise? No? Roll d6 for surprise. Okay, coming out of the mist...". Easy. I also strongly disliked character generation and felt the point buy shoehorned characters and played into the victim mentality of hating people who are athletic, smart, and socially competent too. Random stats rock.
Anyway, I know what my answer is now. What would make Vampire better for me is if it was easy like D&D.
Vampire Player Characters for D&D.
Optional choices are italicized.
Saving Throws: Fighter
Attack as:
Monster. +1 per level
Any armour and weapons.
All unarmed vampires do 1d4+str in melee. Those with the Monster Within gifts do 1d6.
(You can probably use any of the non magic-using classes if you want but this is effectively a class)
Roll 3d6 seven times (or 4d6 if you're not hardcore).
The seventh attribute is your starting Blood (how much blood you
can ‘hold’). At first level and each level thereafter a vampire pc gains
a number of blood equal to their new level.
Constitution modifiers still apply to hit points and saving throws verses final death to represent that some bodies are tougher than others. (I originally wanted to have con as blood but then it became too powerful as a single stat. This way has more character range).
'Spent' blood is restored by feeding, meaning higher level
vampires are much thirstier. Consider using a multiplier for
converting human hit points to blood based on how bloodthirsty you want
things. 1hp to 5b might be a good place to start meaning most low level
characters can refuel off a zero level human or two (1-4hp = 5-20b.
At first level a vampire can drain ½ a
hit dice, at third a whole hit dice, and at fifth level two hit dice per round. This also drains levels from levelled
characters.
Because Blood starts as a 3d6 attribute, as with the other attributes bad things happen when blood goes below three.
At two the vampire becomes obsessed with finding more blood, at one the
vampire flies into an uncontrollable frenzy which ends either when it gets
blood or is reduced in some way to zero blood, or is destroyed. At zero blood the vampire falls into a torpor
as if it had been staked through the heart.
A vampire that is staked through the
heart is immobilised.
Final death is handled the same way as a
human. At zero hit points a saving throw
verses final death must be made. These
receive a bonus based on Constitution score (to represent that some vampire bodies
are tougher). Depending on the nature of
your game, like if it is a longer game, final death might mean that the vampire turns
into a mist and goes back to it’s grave (or perhaps that is a high level
ability) and in which case 'final death' will actually require some other condition.
Sunlight inflicts d4 damage in the first
round, 2d4 in the second, 3d4 in the third and so on. A vampire reduced to zero hit points by
sunlight is destroyed. A vampire must
make a saving throw verses fear to enter sunlight, and when in sunlight must
make one each round to avoid flying into a fear based frenzy if they attempt
any action other than seek shelter.
Damage from sunlight is harder to ‘heal’ using blood as described below.
Vampires are also vulnerable to
silver. Either silver damage is as hard to heal as fire, OR damage inflicted by
silver may not be healed until the the following round. Some hunters claim that even powerful vampires have been taken down with a hail of silver arrows or bullets.
If you need to figure how how many generations removed from the ‘First’ vampire your pc is, then 20
minus your starting Blood Pool (OR
whatever you want) seems about right.
Hit points are handled normally, and accumulate at d8 per
level. If you want Vampires much tougher
than humans go with 2d8 or more at first level.
If you want a more
supernatural feel to your game, consider calculating hit points and blood points
normally and then adding the totals together and just taking all blood use and
hit point damage straight out of that same total. This will increase the sense that it is a
pool of supernatural power that is at work here rather than a body that has undergone
a supernatural change but characters will feel a little more similar.
Blood can be spent in a number of ways. Each round a number of blood up to your
level plus two may be spent. Gifts may
be activated, attributes increased, or hit points healed on the vampires turn. Playtesting Issue. I am strongly consider making it only one of these three options each round
to make things more tactical.
Blood spent to either heal hit points or increase attributes is done so at a
rate of one for one.
Damage from sunlight may not be healed as long as
the vampire remains exposed, and thereafter may only be healed at the cost of
two blood per hit point. Damage from fire also costs two blood per hit point to heal. If not using the optional delay healing mechanic for
silver damage then silver damage also costs two blood per hp to heal.
Blood can also be spent to activate ‘gifts’. Vampire ‘gifts’ use the mechanics of spells
and a vampire gets one at first level and one per level thereafter. If you want to use the concept of vampire
bloodlines then each bloodline should have access to three spheres of gifts. These should be theme appropriate to the
vampire and the setting. e.g. the classic Nosferatu archetype gets
the ability spheres of Monster Within, Stealth, and The Beast.
These gifts cost one blood per level of the spell to
activate. Consider making this
level-plus-one to activate or more if the players are doing too much magic
spam.
List of Vampire Gifts
Blood Magic
Cure Light Wounds
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Blood Magic
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Level 1
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Resist Cold
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Blood Magic
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Level 1
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Feather Fall
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Blood Magic
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Level 1
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Jump
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Blood Magic
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Level 1
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Barkskin
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Blood Magic
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Level 2
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Feign Death
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Blood Magic
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Level 2
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Levitate
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Blood Magic
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Level 2
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Cure Disease
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Blood Magic
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Level 3
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Fly
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Blood Magic
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Level 3
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Haste
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Blood Magic
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Level 3
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Madness
Auditory Illusion
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Madness
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Level 1
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Darkness Globe (Shadow Veil)
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Madness
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Level 1
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Hypnotism
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Madness
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Level 1
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Ventriloquism
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Madness
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Level 1
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Blur
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Madness
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Level 2
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Hypnotic Pattern
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Madness
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Level 2
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Misdirection
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Madness
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Level 2
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Ventriloquism
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Madness
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Level 2
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Amnesia
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Madness
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Level 2
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Mirror Image
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Madness
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Level 2
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Phantasmal Force
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Madness
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Level 2
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Scare
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Madness
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Level 2
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Paralyze
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Madness
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Level 3
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Spectral Force
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Madness
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Level 3
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Presence
1. Command
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Presence
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Level 1
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9. Remove Fear
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Presence
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Level 1
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1. Allure
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Presence
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Level 1
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3. Charm Person
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Presence
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Level 2
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11. Suggestion
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Presence
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Level 3
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11. Hold Person
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Presence
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Level 3
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Stealth
9. Pass without Trace
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Stealth
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Level 1
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10. Silence Radius
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Stealth
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Level 2
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11. Nondetection
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Stealth
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Level 2
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7. Invisibility
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Stealth
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Level 3
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Monster Within
7. Doppelganger
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Monster Within
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Level 1
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28. Spider Climb
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Monster Within
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Level 1
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23. Stinking Cloud
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Monster Within
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Level 2
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Strength
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Monster Within
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Level 2
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4. Insect Swarm
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Monster Within
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Level 3
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3. Fear
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Monster Within
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Level 3
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Rituals
21. Protection from Evil
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Ritual
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Level 1
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23. Read Magic
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Ritual
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Level 1
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24. Scribe
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Ritual
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Level 1
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9. Reveal Charm
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Ritual
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Level 2
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2. Animate Dead
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Ritual
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Level 3
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6. Dispel Magic
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Ritual
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Level 3
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11. Remove Curse (reversible)
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Ritual
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Level 3
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15. Protection from Evil 10Ê radius
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Ritual
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Level 3
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The Beast
1. Animal Companion
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The Beast
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Level 1
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Beast Senses (surprise as ranger)
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The Beast
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Level 1
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7. Invisibility, Animal
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The Beast
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Level 1
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12. Speak with Animals
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The Beast
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Level 1
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29. Summon Familiar
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The Beast
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Level 1
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Charm Person or Mammal
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The Beast
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Level 2
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11. Snake Charm
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The Beast
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Level 2
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12. Infravision
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The Beast
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Level 2
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3. Hold Animal
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The Beast
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Level 3
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Vision Beyond The Veil
8. Locate Creature
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Beyond the Veil
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Level 1
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5. Detect Illusion
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Beyond the Veil
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Level 1
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6. Detect Invisibility
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Beyond the Veil
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Level 1
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20. Message
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Beyond the Veil
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Level 1
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5. Know Alignment
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Beyond the Veil
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Level 2
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8. ESP
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Beyond the Veil
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Level 2
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12. Speak with Dead
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Beyond the Veil
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Level 3
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2. Clairaudience
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Beyond the Veil
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Level 3
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3. Clairvoyance
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Beyond the Veil
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Level 3
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Environmental
12. Wall of Vapor
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Environmental
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Level 1
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9. Obscuring Mist
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Environmental
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Level 2
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5. Fog Cloud
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Environmental
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Level 2
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9. Gust of Wind
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Environmental
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Level 3
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