The less predictable vampire

[tomokaicho]

Vampires in D&D and Ravenloft have a suite of abilities that make them predictable. Yet in vampire films and fiction, we see Vampire outliers. For example, vampires that aren't bothered by holy symbols.

Therefore I present you with some options for making less predictable vampires in D&D 3.5 (and probably works just fine with Pathfinder too).

Take the vampire template presented in the SRD, and make the following alterations -

A vampire always has the following special attacks or qualities as per the SRD vampire template.

Blood Drain (Ex)
Create Spawn (Su)
Damage Reduction (Su)
Fast Healing (Ex)
Resistances (Ex)
Turn Resistance (Ex)

And always has the following weakness.

Sunlight

Roll a d6 three times (ignoring repeat results but up to twice for *) to determine which three vampire vulnerabilities this particular vampire alters or removes.

1. *Allergen (garlic) (special allergen)
2. *Mirrors (held at bay)
3. *Holy symbol (held at bay)
4. *Running water aversion (no fast healing in running water over 3 feet wide)
5. No tresspassing weakness
6. Stake vulnerability

Allergen - replace the garlic allergen to some other substance, for example sage or sandalwood.
Mirrors - mirrors do not bother this vampire, although they still do not cast a reflection in mirrors.
Holy symbol - A vampire without the holy symbol vulnerability finds holy symbols amusing. They might even wear one!
Running water aversion - this vampire doesn't take damage in running water. However in running water over three feet wide the vampires fast healing ceases to function, and it cannot use its Gaseous Form ability in or over running water (as normal).
No trespassing weakness - these vampires are free to trespass on private property as they wish.
Stake vulnerability - these vampires are anomalous. Staking damages them but doesn't have any other particular affect.

Second stage vulnerability removal
*Allergen - The vampire has overcome its allergen.
*Mirrors - The vampire now casts a reflection in mirrors as long as it has fed in the last 2 hours.
*Holy symbol - If presented with a holy symbol, the vampire may laugh at or otherwise mock the person or god of the person presenting the holy symbol as a free action. The vampire may then, if it chooses, make an intimidate check within one round on that person with a +10 profane bonus.
*Running water aversion - Running water has no special affect on the vampire at all.

Roll a d6 three times (ignoring repeat results) to determine which three vampire powers or abilities this particular vampire does not possess.

1. Children of the Night (Su)
2. Dominate (Su)
3. Alternate Form (Su)
4. Energy Drain (Su)
5. Gaseous Form (Su)
6. Spider Climb (Ex)

At the following age categories, Mature, Old, Ancient, Eminent, Patriarch, remove a remaining weakness (including * weaknesses) or add remaining power. Roll on a d20 to determine whether to remove a weakness or add a power.

1 - 13 Remove weakness
14 - 20 Add power

Note: If you use the salient abilities from the Ravenloft Player's Guide (3.5), powers and weaknesses that have been left over can also be selected as salient abilities.

And... done!

Now there is no way to know what a particular vampire can do or not. The Van Richten's Guide to Vampires made it clear that you cannot take anything for granted with vampires, and these adjustments make it so without changing game balance or 'vampire feel'.

[Ender]

You may also wish to check out the Vampire Strains presented in Denizens of Dread for other variations on the theme.

[Jimsolo]

I like it.

[Nox]

Good ideas

[brilliantlight]

The one vulnerability I would tend to remove fist is sunlight for two reasons
1) It limits a vampire in what he can do to a great extent. It is more difficult to rule at night.
2) Dracula didn't have it, why should a D&D vampire?

[Zettaijin]

Tooling with powers and limitations are fine, however players familiar with the VRGtV and such material would know better than to assume that all vampires are the same.

True unpredictability comes from working against tropes such as the brooding vampire or haughty noble undead with a superiority complex over "foolish" mortals. Despite the cheesiness of Vampire: The Masquerade, they had the right idea with creating the various clans. D&D has been rather stubborn in its affection for the classic Universal version of Dracula.

Try these guys...

• a friendly, affable chap with a love of bright colours and a strong zest for life.
  
  a mad scientist who spends countless hours in the lab rather than some gloomy castle on a hill.
  
  a shy introvert who appears meek and ultimately too mousy to accomplish much.
  
  a holy warrior on a quest for their deity who have been granted immortal life to accomplish their goal - provided they feed on the infidels.
  
  the faceless peasant who goes about a rather mundane existence to hide their vampirism.

[brilliantlight]

Tooling with powers and limitations are fine, however players familiar with the VRGtV and such material would know better than to assume that all vampires are the same.

True unpredictability comes from working against tropes such as the brooding vampire or haughty noble undead with a superiority complex over "foolish" mortals. Despite the cheesiness of Vampire: The Masquerade, they had the right idea with creating the various clans. D&D has been rather stubborn in its affection for the classic Universal version of Dracula.

Try these guys...

• a friendly, affable chap with a love of bright colours and a strong zest for life.
  
  a mad scientist who spends countless hours in the lab rather than some gloomy castle on a hill.
  
  a shy introvert who appears meek and ultimately too mousy to accomplish much.
  
  a holy warrior on a quest for their deity who have been granted immortal life to accomplish their goal - provided they feed on the infidels.
  
  the faceless peasant who goes about a rather mundane existence to hide their vampirism.

One of my vampires was an art loving scholar. He spends much his immortality looking at artwork or reading books.

[Jimsolo]

I always loved vampires whose vulnerabilities weren't what you thought (or they found a way around them).

In at least one of his write-ups, Strahd is stated as being able to enter any home in Barovia without an invitation. (Because he's a feudal lord--technically that's HIS house.) I thought a similar conceit might play interestingly with a slum lord in a tightly populated area like Nova Vaasa or Paridon. Even in a rural area, I thought it could be fun to have the PCs tracking down a vampire who can seemingly dip in and out of homes at will, no invitation required, only to find out that he purchased the deeds to those homes decades (or even centuries earlier), and is still technically the landowner, now just feeding on those squatting on 'his' property.

[Lord_Pruitt]

I like using the vampire clans, and their powers, from the Vampire: the Masquerade game setting. It is rather surprising to the players when the vampire can manipulate shadows (ala Lasombra) or turn into an Aliens like creature (ala Vicissitude). Keeps them on their toes.