Hello, everyone! This week, we’re going to take a brief break from the Rust Moon Territory to take a much-needed second look at the Vampiric Sorcerer subclass. This redesign was originally meant to be the first of TBM Games’ 5.24 subclasses, but needed more adjustment to bring its rules language in line with the new edition of D&D. I think it still might need some tweaks before the final version, which will also include the set of new spells I originally showed you last July, but I’m excited to refine one of my favorite 5e subclasses.

Vampiric Sorcery

Become a Creature of the Night

Your innate magic comes from vampirism, a form of undeath which grants you impressive power, but also intense drawbacks. You or someone of your lineage were bestowed this supernatural curse by another vampire. While most vampires’ names and histories are forgotten secrets, a few echo out in infamy across the planes, a legacy not to be trifled with.

Vampiric Features

Sorcerer Level | Features

3rd | Vampiric Spells, Blood Drinker, Creature of the Night

6th | Shapechange

14th | Dark Subtlety

18th | Vampiric Regeneration

Level 3: Vampiric Spells

When you reach a Sorcerer level specified in the Vampiric Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared.

Vampiric Spells

Sorcerer Level | Spells

3 |Charm Person, Command, Enthrall, Suggestion

5 | Animate Dead, Vampiric Touch

7 | Confusion, Blight

9 | Dominate Person, Geas

Level 3: Blood Drinker

You develop a thirst for blood. Your creature type becomes Undead. You no longer need to eat or drink for sustenance, but may do so to pass as a living creature.

When you expend a Hit Die during a Short Rest, you do not regain Hit Points. Instead, you gain Temporary Hit Points equal to that Hit Die’s maximum. If you already have Temporary Hit Points from this feature, you may add them together. These Temporary Hit Points are depleted when you next begin a short rest.

During a Short Rest, you may regain Hit Points by draining the blood of a helpless or willing creature. That creature expends a Hit Die, and you regain the resulting roll.

Level 3: Creature of the Night

You become fearful of the sun’s light. You have Vulnerability to Radiant damage and Resistance to Necrotic damage. You also have Darkvision up to 120 feet.

While in sunlight, you gain Vulnerability to all damage types and you have Disadvantage on all attack rolls and ability checks. Wearing heavy cloaks or obscuring veils prevents this effect, but you are likely to gather undesired attention in public.

Level 6: Shapechange

As a Magic action, you can expend 3 sorcery points to transform into a Tiny bat or a Medium cloud of mist. You may revert to your true form as a Magic action, and you revert to your true form if you fall unconscious, are in sunlight, or after 1 minute. Anything you are wearing transforms with you, but nothing you are carrying or wielding does. While you are transformed, you cannot cast any spells or speak.

In bat form, your walking speed is 5 feet, and you have a Flying speed of 30 feet. Your statistics are otherwise unchanged.

In mist form, you can’t take any actions or manipulate objects. You are weightless, have a Flying speed of 20 feet, can hover, and can enter a hostile creature’s space and stop there. If air can pass through a space, you can do so without squeezing, though you can’t pass through water. You have Advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws, and you are Immune to all nonmagical damage.

Level 14: Dark Subtlety

You no longer show any sign of effort to cast novice spells. Whenever you cast a spell of 3rd level or lower or a cantrip, it is considered to be under the effects of the Subtle Spell Metamagic option without using any Sorcery Points.

You may apply another Metamagic option to any spell cast with the Subtle Spell Metamagic option, provided you spend the requisite Sorcery Points when casting the spell.

Additionally, when you lose Temporary Hit Points due to taking damage, you don’t need to roll a Constitution saving throw to maintain Concentration.

Level 18: Vampiric Regeneration

You magically close your wounds in place of any natural healing ability. As a Bonus Action, you can expend 5 Sorcery Points to begin regenerating for one minute. At the start of each of your turns, you gain a number of Hit Points equal to your Sorcerer level.

VAMPIRISM IN UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES

Living creatures are the most common victims of vampirism, but any sapient entity may become a vampire even if they have no normal need for sustenance. In these situations, no additional rules modifications need to be used, but the method these unique vampires use to drain blood will likely be different.

Constructs and creatures without a means of ingesting blood may anoint themselves with blood they’ve collected, or develop a similar ritual or habit to meet their need for the blood of the living.

Alternatively, a vampire may drain other sources of vitality from their prey. Particularly arid locations may see vampires who drain the moisture or salt from creatures’ bodies. Settings featuring psionic powers may house psychic vampires, who drain mental energy from a host instead of physical essence.

Background Option: Vampire

Few vampires are created by accident – The circumstances under which you became a vampire may vary, but you have been inexorably bound to the night. Undisturbed by the diurnal, you have seized the opportunity to use twilight hours for your studies, becoming well-read on several subjects.

Ability Scores: Intelligence, Strength, Charisma

Feat: Magic Initiate (Cleric or Wizard)

Skill Proficiencies: Arcana and Investigation.

Tool Proficiency: Choose one kind of Artisan’s Tools

Equipment: Choose A or B: (A) Dagger, Fine Clothes, Pouch, 20 GP; or (B) 50 GP