Vampire Donor (3.5e Template)
Vampire Donor
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3e Summary::Vampire donors are not undead, but living beings who have a symbiotic relationship with the undead.
This template is meant to be used with the Vampire Variant: Methuselan template, and the Netbook of Alignment, but there is no reason it must. It is part of the Gothic Light campaign setting but can also be used with the Fortress Celestia Campaign Setting, or almost any other setting.
Creating a Vampire Donor
"Vampire Donor" is an acquired template that is almost exclusively applied to humanoids and most often humans, but can be applied to any creature that can breathe, eat, and sleep, and has blood a vampire can consume (referred to hereafter as the base creature).
The condition can be either hereditary or transmitted by direct contact of bodily fluid (possible during battle, sexual activity, and especially when bitten by a vampire) and as such can be considered a magical disease for game purposes. When a vampire drains a vampire donor of more constitution than the minimum needed to sate its hunger and heal its wounds, or drains a vampire donor completely it becomes infected. The vampire gets one contagion point per additional constitution point drained, PLUS one point for each hit point the vampire has when fully healed if its victim was completely drained. Each time it bites another victim, a contagion point is lost and the bitten creature is infected (the vampire can save vs spells to prevent the transfer). The victim must save vs. death; failure means it will suffer the same fate as if bitten by an uninfected vampire; success means the DM can choose whether the victim dies, recovers, or becomes a vampire, vampire spawn, or vampire donor if an NPC. For player characters, it is recommended to roleplay an hallucination or dream in which the victim is offered by the vampire a payment for his meal which consists of a choice between four vials, with the following labels and results: [1] "poison" (death), [2] "survival" (be in a coma for 24 hours, violently ill for another 24 hours, and then return to normal), [3] "friendship" (become a vampire donor), and [4] "unlife" (become a vampire or vampire spawn as appropriate).
A vampire donor uses all the base creature’s statistics, special abilities, etc. except as noted here:
Size and Type
Existing size, type and subtypes are unaffected, but the creature adds the vampire donor subtype.
Abilities
Adjust the base creature's abilities according to the following adjustments: Con +6, Cha -2, Com +2. Vampire donors are unnaturally healthy which results in more soft, perfect skin, hair, etc, but they tend to be shy and withdrawn because of their secret. The donor does NOT gain extra hit points to previously - acquired hit dice due to the higher constitution points, but gains all other advantages. Hair grows about twice the normal rate.
Class and Advancement
Becoming a vampire donor has no direct effect on the creatures' class, levels, or favored class. Vampire donors associate with the undead, which could cause consequences for certain classes including paladins and clerics, depending on the deity, the vampire, and any homebrew rules in effect. If the deity is willing, a good - aligned vampire donor cleric might be able to turn off his turning affect on his vampire ally.
Special Qualities
Vampire donor heal from blood loss at an accelerated rate of 1 constitution point per hour. If completely drained by a vampire, donors do not become vampires or vampire spawn, instead, they must save vs. death. Failure means they are slain and do not become a vampire or vampire spawn, success means they go into a coma that appears to be death to all normal tests, but can recover 24 hours later with one constitution point, after which they heal as if they had not been completely drained. Vampire donors heal from damage caused directly by anything other than blood loss at the same rate as everyone else. Vampire donors can supply vampires with blood that is extra nutritious and tastes better than normal. For every point of constitution drained, the vampire gets the benefits of draining two points.
Weaknesses
A vampire donor must be fed upon by vampires to keep his constitution bonus. For each month not bitten, the donor looses one point until the value reach the base creature level, at which point the donor reverts to the base creature form with all of the affects of becoming a vampire donor gone forever. However, whenever bitten by a vampire, the donor has a 5% cumulative chance of becoming a vampire donor again. Their health and ability to produce large quantities of extra - nutritious blood comes at a price: it requires them to consume more food than normal creatures, especially if they are being drained very often. They eat 1.2 - 2x the normal amount, and have odd cravings for unusual food - not unlike humanoid females when pregnant. If they fail to meet their nutritional needs, they begin to loose constitution at the rate of one point per day. Once they begin eating well again, they regain the lost constitution due to starvation at a rate of 1 point per hour.
Skills
If they can converse with vampires, vampire donors automatically gain full knowledge of the lore of whichever type(s) of vampire they associate with.
Level Adjustment
+1
Treasure
Typically has treasure according to the base creature's treasure x0.5 - 0.8 (DM's discretion; they have spent the extra cash on food).
Alignment
Vampire donors are spiritually, mentally, physically, and biologically completely unaffected by the change, except as listed above. Vampire donors tend to be among the more open - minded and adventurous members of their race. Most are either good - aligned, open - minded people who want to protect fellow non - vampires by offering themselves in the place of others or spare their 'friends' the emotional pain of taking unwilling victims, or else evil people who are willing to make a deal with a devil for personal power. As a result of their nutritional requirements, they tend to be more concerned than most of their peers about always having enough food on hand. They also tend to be sensual, passionate people in private, and private and reserved in public.
Organization
Usually solitary.
Vampire donors almost never seek to create a society of their own as they are relatively rare. Instead, usually they seek to appear to be part of the normal culture around them, living the same lives they always did, hiding their unique relationship. Ironically, while the donors see themselves as reducing acts of vampirism against the rest of society, most societies, especially lawful good ones, see donors as harboring dangerous creatures and encouraging more to come to the area. Once a vampire donor is exposed, they usually are arrested or become outcasts. The outcasts often are actively fleeing persecution or seeking a new society or party to join. A very few live as part of a vampire's household staff.
Vampire Donor Lore
Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (religion) can learn more about vampire donors. When a character makes a successful check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.
DC Result
10 vampire donors are creatures that willingly allow vampires to feed on them.
12 Vampire donors are actively discouraged by most societies as a threat to the public.
17 Vampire donors are unnaturally healthy, which allows them to easily sacrifice their blood.
20 Vampire donors cannot become vampires or vampire spawn except under very unusual circumstances.
22 Vampire donors are creatures that have contracted a magical disease carried by vampires.
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