User:The Dire Reverend/Salient Vampire (3.5e Prestige Class)

Salient Vampire
The Salient Vampire is like a monster class, however, you are not required to take every single level before moving on to a different class. In addition, it is extremely customizable, so you can make your favorite version of vampires from your favorite type of media (Sparkling ladyboy vampires need not apply.)

Becoming a Salient Vampire
One does not usually become a Salient Vampire by choice, but few people actually choose to become one.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Salient Vampire.

It also gains several things, shown below.


 * Hit Dice: Increase all racial and class HD to d12’s.


 * Armor Class: A Vampire gains a +1 natural armor bonus to AC for every three HD it has.


 * Special Attacks: A Vampire retains all the special attacks of the base creature and also gains the following special attacks.


 * Blood Drain (Ex): A Vampire can suck blood from a living victim with its fangs by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained. On each such successful attack, the Vampire gains 5 temporary hit points that last 1 hour per HD of the victim.


 * Create Spawn (Su): A humanoid or monstrous humanoid whose Constitution score is reduced to 0 by a Vampire’s blood drain ability dies and rise, 1d4 days later as a Vampire Spawn if it had 4 or less HD and as a Vampire if it had 5 or more HD.If the creature's HD are equal to your own minus four or greater, then it is created as a free-willed undead. Otherwise, the new Vampire or spawn is under the command of the Vampire that created it and remains enslaved until its master’s destruction. Spawned Vampires lack salient abilities, have the same weaknesses as the Vampire that spawned them, and cannot create spawn of their own. At any given time a Vampire may have enslaved spawn totaling no more than twice its own Hit Dice; any spawn it creates that would exceed this limit are created as free-willed Vampires or Vampire Spawn. A Vampire that is enslaved may create and enslave spawn of its own, so a master Vampire can control a number of lesser Vampires in this fashion. A Vampire may voluntarily free an enslaved spawn in order to enslave a new spawn, but once freed, a Vampire or Vampire Spawn cannot be enslaved again.


 * Special Qualities: A Vampire retains all the special qualities of the base creature and also gains the following qualities.


 * Damage Reduction (Ex): A Vampire has damage reduction 1/–. The amount of this damage reduction increases by one for every 5 HD the Vampire has.


 * Fast Healing (Ex): A Vampire heals 5 points of damage each round so long as it has at least 1 hit point.


 * Resistances (Ex): A Vampire has resistance to cold 10 and electricity 10.


 * Turn Resistance (Ex): A Vampire has +1 turn resistance. The amount of this turn resistance increases by 1 for every 5 HD the Vampire has.

Things as harmless as the sun or even water can kill it. In addition to the regular drawbacks that a regular undead obtains, a Salient vampire has additional weaknesses, shown below:


 * Extreme Weaknesses: These weaknesses are prevalent in all but the most powerful Vampires. They cannot ever be entirely removed, unlike the lesser weaknesses.


 * Sunlight Vulnerability: Vampires are naturally extremely vulnerable to sunlight–it’s merest touch is enough to kill them. If it is exposed to natural sunlight, it is disoriented, and can take only a single action. If it does not exit the sunlight by the end of its next round, it is destroyed. This vulnerability’s effect can be lessened by taking the Sunlight Resistance Salient Ability, and almost eliminated with Weakness Obliteration.


 * Stake Vulnerability: Vampires are vulnerable to being staked. Wooden stakes are treated as simple light weapons that deal 1d2 piercing damage and have a critical threat range of x2. If a character attacks a Vampire in melee with a stake and would threaten a critical hit, he may make a roll to confirm the critical, even though vampires are not affected by them, at a -8 penalty. If the confirmation roll is successful, then the character successfully stakes the Vampire’s heart, destroying it instantly. In addition, if a character coup de grace’s a Vampire with a stake, it is destroyed as well. This vulnerability’s effect can be lessened by taking the Weakness Obliteration Salient Ability.


 * Lesser Weaknesses: These weaknesses are not as serious as an Extreme Weakness, and can be removed with a Salient Ability.


 * Dominion Vulnerability: A Vampire cannot enter certain areas unbidden. It cannot enter a house or private dwelling of its own power without the explicit permission of the dwelling’s owner. In addition, they can never enter temples or other places of worship belonging to good deities, or areas that have been hallowed (but not those that have been consecrated). This vulnerability can be removed with the Dominion Resistance Salient Ability.


 * Talisman Vulnerability: Vampires can be repelled by certain talismans. They cannot tolerate the smell of garlic, nor the presence of mirrors, or holy symbols held by characters that worship the deity of the symbol. They cannot voluntarily come within 5 ft. of any of these objects, and if they begin their turn within 5 ft. of such an object, they cannot take any actions until they move away. This vulnerability can be removed with the Talisman Resistance Salient Ability.


 * Water Vulnerability: Vampires cannot cross running water or tolerate immersal. They cannot cross running water of their own power, though they can cross it while on a ship or in their coffin. If a Vampire with this weakness is immersed in water, it takes 2d20 points of damage each round. This vulnerability can be removed with the Water Resistance Salient Ability. If the Vampire has a swim speed naturally (Not gained through a magic item or spell), they gain the Water Resistance ability for free. (It still counts for the limit of Salient abilities in the Weakness Resistance category you can have)

This stacks with the base creature’s ability scores. Look at the table to see how much the stats increase on those levels.

There are three categories of Salient abilities: Special Attacks, Special Qualities and Weakness Resistances. A character can have up to four abilities in each category, until level 8 (See Improved Selection). The list of Salient Selections can be found here.

He has no limit to how many Salient abilities he can take in each category.

Playing a Salient Vampire
Combat: A Salient Vampire's role in battle can be varied, depending on it's previous class, and it's Salient Selections.

Advancement: Most Salient Vampires take more levels in their base class after taking Salient Vampire.

Resources: Most Salient Vampires operate alone, but some group together in order to further their goals.

Salient Vampires in the World
"<-Some quote from a character of this class->"

<-Where characters of this class fit in a d20 world->

NPC Reactions: Salient Vampires can easily hide their vampiric nature.

Salient Vampire Lore
Characters with ranks in Religion can research Salient Vampires to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.