This list was developed for Nosferatu (MC Ravenloft) vampires. Monster Manual (i.e, level-draining), Drow, Oriental, Aquatic and other vampires may have special abilities that are not listed here. This should not be considered a "Master List" for all vampires to pick and choose from. Looking over this list will quickly make the player or DM realize that there is great incentive for a vampire to become evil, since it is very difficult for a vampire to improve in ability unless it gains extra Vampire Points by killing people. A lawful good vampire is a weak vampire. Evil is a constant temptation for the vampire PC.
Upon Creation by a Sire or Dam, the newly born vampire has 45 Vampire Points to spend on Vampiric Powers, plus 1 Vampire Point per level of the character at the time s/he was vampirized. Vampire Powers are in addition to the vampire's other (mortal) skills, abilities, proficiencies, and so on; but Vampire Points can only be spent on vampiric powers. In effect, the vampire gains a subsidary class - Vampire - in addition to its normal, primary class - fighter, priest, rogue, wizard, etc.
For each normal class level the vampire character gains after becoming a vampire, s/he receives normal Character Points which may be spent either on Non-Vampire skills and proficiencies, or on Vampire skills and proficiencies. In addition, the vampire character gains 3 Vampire Points that must be either saved or spent on Vampire Powers (they cannot be spent on anything normal Character Points can be spent on). Multi-classed Vampires split their Vampire Points the same way they split the Character Points, for purposes of going up a level in one class and not the other. Note: If the vampire somehow becomes mortal again, ALL vampiric skills and powers will be lost, including any that had Character Points spent on them - this emulates the temptation of vampirism that the player succumbed to by spending Character Points on vampire skills.
A vampire who kills a sentient being by draining its blood gains 1 Vampire Point for each person so killed. No more than 1 Vampire Point per lunar cycle can be gained this way. Vampire points acquired during play can be spent at any time, not just when a new level is made. Naturally, acquiring Vampire Points by killing other sentients is an evil act, and gaining points this way will affect the vampire's alignment and so on accordingly.
In addition to Vampire Points, vampires also accrue Blood Points (cf. Vampire Restrictions). Some skills can be augmented or resisted by expending Blood Points on them.
All vampires begin with the normal vampiric restrictions (See the Vampire Restrictions write-up).
The term "person" means a sentient human/oid of Low intelligence or higher (eg., a wizard's familiar is not a "person" for purposes of vampire skills). The term "animal" means a normal animal that is not a "monster," (not Giant, etc), has an endoskeleton, and is of Animal intelligence or less (eg., insects are not "animals" for purpose of vampire skills, and neither are wizard's familiars). The DM rules on ambiguous cases, but in general if it has 4 legs or 2 wings and is higher than Animal intelligence, it's a Monster and thus out of a vampire's purview.
Vampires who have Traits or Proficiencies that would duplicate Vampiric abilities here simply layer the two. Thus, for example, a vampire with Fast Healer and Regeneration simply gets another hit point added to that last melee round of regeneration in a day. A vampire with Animal Empathy and Animalism gains the trait's abilities in addition to any gained from the Discipline. A vampire with Heightened Senses and Auspex simply adds the bonuses to Heightened Senses to the bonuses for Auspex - and so on.
ARMOR CLASS (5 VP): Gains an innate AC of 1, which can be supplemented by armor that would ordinarily bring the AC below 1, or by plus-based magical supplements. Dexterity continues to modify AC. (This new AC reflects not increased dexterity or tougher skin, but the decreased vulnerability of the vampire to fatal blows; that is, the vampire can be struck more often and in more places without taking serious or "hit-point-causing" damage than s/he could have as a mere mortal).
BLOOD CHARM (10 VP, Nosferatu only): The nosferatu vampire can charm from afar any person it has drained blood from. Once charmed, a victim is subject to the vampire's will for the rest of his life, barring certain forms of priestly intervention. This telepathic communication is one-way. The vampire gives instructions to its victim, but the victim cannot relay anything to the vampire. The vampire must be within 360 feet to command an unwilling charmed subject.
HIT POINT BONUS (5 VP): Gains an automatic +2 to all Hit Dice rolls, retroactive if applicable, unless the vampire already has a Constitution bonus, in which case this extra +2 is not added. Remember, vampires are always turned as 8+3 HD creatures, regardless of their actual number of hit dice.
IMMUNITIES (5 VP): Becomes immune to sleep, hold and charm spells and abilities, as well as to poisons and paralysis.
REGENERATION (15 VP): Regenerates 3 hp/melee round, except for damage caused by sunlight, fire, acid and running water (cf. Vampire Restrictions & Weaknesses). The vampire regenerates from death, like a troll. Once this skill is bought, the vampire will regenerate completely back to the form it had at the time it was turned into a vampire - thus, scars or amputations suffered after being turned into a vampire will vanish, hair and nails will return to the length they had at the time the character became a vampire, etc. Note that this means if a character was handless when s/he was vampirized, the lost hand will not grow back! This also means that the vampire cannot cut its hair, pierce its ear, add a prosthetic limb (like an Eye of Vecna) and so on - because the cut hair or punctured flesh will regenerate. (A very old vampire may be recognizable from its unusual, old-fashioned haircut or beard style!)
For each Blood Point the vampire with this ability expends, 1 extra hp can be regenerated per melee round for that 24-hour period. For every 2 extra Vampire Points the vampire spends, 1 extra hp can be regenerated per melee round, permanently.
RESISTANCES (5 VP): Takes half damage from cold or electricity-based attacks.
STRENGTH (5 VP): Gains an 18.76 Muscle/Str (+2/+4) and an 18 Stamina/Str, unless the vampire's original mortal strength was better. The vampire can spend an extra 5 VP to gain a Muscle/Str of 18.00, and another 5 VP for a Muscle/Str of 19. The vampire cannot have a strength over 19 (except through magical augmentation), due to the limits of flesh and bone.
WEAPON IMMUNITY (5 VP): Gains immunity to normal weapons; can only be hit by a +1 weapon or better, or by a creature of over 4+1 HD/5th level. (Note - Human/oids using nonmagical weapons can affect creatures that can only normally be hit by magical weapons: 5th level can affect creatures only affected by +1 weapons; 7th level +2; 9th level +3; and 11th level +4.)
VAMPIRIC DISCIPLINES (Special): There are 6 vampiric Disciplines open to player characters. Each Discipline costs 10 points to buy at base (base=level one, the first skill level of the Discipline). Numbers in parentheses after each discipline indicate the level of that skill, not its cost in points. Each level of a Discipline after the first costs 5 points. Levels must be acquired in the order listed here under each Discipline. At vampire generation, a PC may buy the base (1) level and any other levels s/he wants to spend points on. After the vampire is generated, only one level of Discipline per new character class level can be acquired thereafter, although a vampire may learn one new level in more than one Discipline at the same time.
Some level abilities can be improved by spending extra points on them. A vampire may improve a Discipline Level at any time a Vampire Point is gained, even though a new Discipline Level cannot be gained until a new class level is gained.
(Example: an evil PC Thief buys Animalism to level 2 and Auspex to level 3 when she becomes a vampire. She cannot buy Animalism level 3 or Auspex level 4 until she goes up another Thief level. While she's adventuring, she kills and drains 12 people over 12 months, getting 12 more Vampire Points. She immediately spends 1 point to improve her Animalism level 1 - that is, improve Song of the Beast so that she can communicate completely with the animal, to the limit of its ability. She decides to save the other 11 points. When she finally goes up a Thief level, she gets 3 new Vampire Points, plus the 11 she's saved, for a total of 14 Vampire Points. She decides to buy another level in Auspex and another level in Animalism (total, 6 points), and the base level 1 of Protean (10 points), spending a total of 16 points. Oops! She shrugs, and throws in 2 of the 5 Character Points she gained for going up another level in thief. She's not as skillful a thief as she might have been, but she's becoming a great vampire.)
Each Discipline takes 1 segment/level of concentration to use, like spells (unless the specific Discipline notes otherwise). Thus, Animalism Level 3 (Sweet Whisper) takes 3 segments to use, as a 3rd level spell. This naturally affects the initiative phase that the Discipline "goes off" on (cf. C&T).
Animalism: Animalism concerns friendship for and empathy with the animal world. This Discipline grants vampires abilities that have to do with animals, with the exception of taking animal form, which is an aspect of the Protean Discipline. Vampires who do not have this ability may be considered offensive to animals, for beasts do not feel comfortable around them. Animals whose minds are magically protected against mental influence are immune to these abilities (although this is likely to occur very infrequently!).
Song of the Beast (1): Most animals are not intelligent enough to carry on a lengthy discourse on any subject, but some vampires can attempt a limited form of communication with them. Such communication takes place mentally - the vampire need only look into the animal's eyes to initiate the conversation. Eye contact must be maintained throughout. If it is broken, then eye contact will have to be re-established in order to speak with the animal once again.
A vampire may communicate in this fashion with almost any sort of animal. Creatures without obvious eyes or that do not see, and lower life forms (such as insects), are not subject to this Discipline. Of course, there is no guarantee that an animal will desire to talk to, or deal honestly with, the vampire.
For each extra Vampire Point spent on this Discipline, the vampire increases the communication level. Base: Basic communication is possible and the character can expect responses to straightforward questions. +1 VP: Complete communication up to the animal's potential is possible. +2 VP: Complete communication with the full trust of the animal. It will not mislead the character unless being controlled by another.
Call of the Wild (2): Animals of or under 2+2 HD will respond when the character calls; the character can summon nearly any type of animal within this HD limitation, and the animals will respond and arrive as quickly as they can. The summons may be very complicated ("all male white rats"); however, in one summons the vampire may not call animals of different species.
Only one summons may be active at a time and there is no way to cancel a call after it is made. Animals called in this way are under no obligation to heed the commands of the caller, unless the vampire has Animalism 3, in which case they may be directed as a group by very simple instruction.
For each extra VP spent on this Discipline, the vampire improves the chances of the Call. Base: About half the animals being called that are available within 5 city blocks/5 miles will respond, unless it would be life-threatening to do so. +1: A majority of the animals called that are within a half mile/7 miles will respond, unless it would be life-threatening to do so. +2: All animals called that are within 1 mile/10 miles will respond, even if it is dangerous to do so.
Sweet Whisper (3): The vampire is able to convince animals to do a "favor" for it. Essentially, the vampire is able to issue complex commands to a single animal once eye contact is established. The command must be couched in terms of a request, and the animal must be coaxed into it. The "favor" cannot be too complex for the intellect of the animal to understand. However, these commands can be deeply implanted so that they will affect the animal for some time.
For each extra VP spent on this Discipline, the vampire increases the chance of success. Base: The animal will probably do as the vampire commands, but may request a "treat" or other reward in return. +1: The animal will do as instructed, unless the command goes against the nature of the beast. +2: The animal will heed the command unless doing so would unduly threaten its life. +3: The animal will blindly follow any command.
Sharing of Spirits (4): By staring into the eyes of an animal, the vampire may allow its spirit or conscious mind to move within the animal. This allows the vampire to control the actions of the animal. There is nothing the animal can do to prevent the control until the time limit has expired. The vampire's body falls motionless during this possession, in Torpor. No other Disciplines may be used while the vampire possesses an animal. The vampire will not notice any damage inflicted on its body while it possesses an animal. If the vampire's body is killed while the vampire is possessing an animal, the vampire's mind will also die and the animal will resume control of its body again.
Sometimes after prolonged periods of time inside the mind of a particular animal, the vampire will begin to think like an animal, even after the connection has been broken. The vampire behaves like the animal it was, retaining many of its instincts for a time. This will continue until a successful Willpower/Wis roll is made. Such attempts can be made once per day. The DM may decide how long the vampire must control the animal before feeling this effect.
At the end of any particularly exciting incident that occurs while the vampire is possessing an animal, the vampire should roll an Intuition/Wis to retain the animal's mind. Failure indicates that the vampire must immediately release the animal and return to its own body or be forced to roll every round to remain sane. If the vampire goes insane, it returns to its own body in Frenzy. Usually this insanity is only temporary, and after the Frenzy is over and the vampire has rested, it will return to normal again.
Note that by employing this power, it is possible for the vampire to travel about during the day, albeit in the body of an animal. However, the vampire must remain awake to do so, rolling a successful Willpower/Wis check per hour.
For each extra VP spent on this Discipline, the vampire can control the animal longer. Base: Up to six hours. +1: up to one day. +2: Up to one week. +3: Indefinitely. Note, however, that the vampire's body will eventually fall into Torpor due to lack of sleep or blood if the animal is controlled too long, thus trapping the vampire in the animal's mind. The vampire can only be awakened again if it drinks blood - blood touches its lips - and this will yank the vampire back into its body and cause it to automatically go into Frenzy, no resistance roll allowed.
The Roving Beast (5): When a vampire achieves this level in Animalism, it has attained an indisputable understanding of humankind's wild cousins. Armed with this knowledge, the vampire is better able to deal with the beast within itself. When the vampire is about to Frenzy, it may force the urges upon another animal, man or vampire. The recipient of this vast, savage energy may only be something that is fit for the burden - it must be by nature violent (not "Good"). If the vampire does not know the intended victim's tendencies, and the victim is unsuitable, then the vampire cannot make the transfer and goes into Frenzy for twice the length of time.
Base: The vampire releases the Frenzy on somebody else, but is stunned by the effort for the next round. +1: The vampire may switch the Frenzy in mid-transfer if it suddenly realizes that the initial target is unsuitable (notices the priestly robes of a lawful good cleric under a person's cloak, etc).
Auspex: This Discipline is one of awareness, sensitivity, empathy and extrasensory perception. Those with this Discipline tend to be strongly affected by environmental phenomena, especially beauty.
Heightened Senses (1): The vampire can sharpen its senses at will, for as long as desired. The vampire can double its normal range of hearing and seeing in terms of distance and conditions under which they are effective. The vampire can increase olfactory sensitivity to track somebody and identify almost anything by touch alone. The vampire can also see in the dark, not perfectly, but with much better clarity as long as there is some ambient light. When a Perception check is made (Intuition/Wis), the vampire may double its chance of success (make 2 rolls).
Additionally, heightened senses may alert the vampire to premonitions of danger - they are typically confusing, but can be helpful. A vampire with Heightened Senses is only surprised on a 1 in 10.
The drawback is that loud noises or bright light can disturb the vampire in this state, and even render the vampire mute or blind for a period of time (up to weeks), at the DM's discretion.
Aura Perception (2): The vampire can see the color of the aura of other beings, thus determining their mood and level of tension (nondetection and similar abilities block this Discipline). The vampire may only look at an aura once with clear vision; after that, the aura becomes unclear. The attempt takes one round, during which time the vampire remains still and looks slightly unfocused. The effective range of Aura Perception is within eyesight, which can vary depending on light and weather conditions (rain tends to cause the vampire with this Discipline to see rainbows everywhere). However, sometimes the vampire will notice a particularly strong aura without needing to make the attempt. Powers, spells and items that render a person's alignment or true nature (but not thoughts) undetectable will protect them from this ability.
An aura is not composed of only one color, but is usually a mixture of several shades, with different parts of the aura being different colors. The aura may shift between different colors in a predictable cycle, or completely at random. The colors change along with the current emotional state of the character. The DM should add colors, shades, or other effects as needed to expand this list.
ESP (4): The vampire is able to probe the surface thoughts of any subject within non-magically-augmented eyesight (a saving throw vs. Willpower/Wis applies if the subject has reason to suspect such intrusion, after which no more attempts can be made to probe that mind for 24 hours). Given enough time, a vampire with this power can learn nearly anything about a person; however, since only surface thoughts are probed, the vampire cannot "sift" to gain specific information. The vampire cannot send any mental messages or establish any sort of two-way mental contact with this skill. Language is not a barrier to this ability. Powers, spells and items that render a person immune to mental influence will protect them from this ability.
Astral Projection (5): The vampire is able to expand its consciousness to such a degree that it separates its mind from its body and controls the movements of this metaphysical astral self. This ability acts in general as the psionic skill of the same name (cf. S&P p. 170), except that the vampire can travel beyond the earth to a certain limit (at maximum, no farther than the edge of its Crystal Sphere, cf. Spelljammer). The physical body is left behind, motionless, as if in Torpor. The mind of the vampire is with the astral body and the vampire has no way of knowing what is going on around its body. No sensations from the body are felt until the body is staked or destroyed, at which point the vampire will feel the sudden severing of the astral cord. The vampire then has a number of rounds equal to its Stamina/Con to act before its mind also dies.
The vampire can travel through the astral plane at a speed that corresponds to 500 miles per hour for purposes of estimating time taken to reach another place on the same world. The vampire's astral self is naked - no normal physical world objects may accompany the vampire, although there are rumors of magical artifacts capable of astral travel.
Unlike the psionic discipline, vampire in astral space may not interact with creature of the physical world - it can only observe (Aura Perception and Telepathy can be used). While in the astral plane, no Disciplines other than Auspex may be employed by the vampire. Creatures on the astral plane, or whose senses extend to the astral plane, may interact with the vampire, however.
Dominate: This Discipline reflects a vampire's mysterious ability to command others and ensure that the command is heeded. These abilities affect the judgment of the target, not emotions (emotions are affected by the Presence Discipline). Dominate always requires eye contact with the subject in order for it to be employed; therefore, it is sometimes known as the "Piercing Gaze." Dominate is one of the most useful Disciplines, but also one of the hardest to employ successfully.
The subject may roll a saving throw versus Willpower/Wis to avoid any Domination attempt (magical and wisdom bonuses apply). If the subject successfully resists, s/he may spend one CP (or, if a vampire, VP) per level of the Discipline being resisted to resist all other Domination attempts at that level by that vampire for the next full year (e.g., 1 CP to resist Command, 2 CP to resist Mesmerize, and so on, up to 5 CP to resist Possession). No vampire may Dominate another vampire that is older than it (i.e., was turned into a vampire earlier than it).
A vampire may choose to expend Blood Points to lower the subject's ability to resist a Domination attempt. One Blood Point = -1 to the subject's Willpower/Wis roll. A natural 1, however, always saves against a Domination attempt.
Orders and suggestions must be given verbally to those who have been Dominated. Over time, a Dominated individual can be conditioned by the vampire, so that s/he is thereafter unable to resist Domination. Kindred will often do so to their servants to ensure loyal retainers.
Powers, spells and items that protect an individual's mind against mental influence can render a person immune to Domination attempts.
Command (1): The vampire is able to give one-word commands to others, as the 1st-level Priest spell. Unlike the spell, the vampire may embed the command word in a sentence, thus concealing from others what is happening.
Mesmerize (2): After looking deeply into a subject's eyes for at least 5 rounds/minutes, the vampire may implant a suggestion into the unconscious mind, as the 3rd-level Wizard spell.
Base: The subject cannot be forced to do anything strange (like act like a chicken) or against his or her innate morality or sense of self-preservation. +1: The subject won't do anything against his or her innate morality or sense of self-preservation. +2: The subject will do anything that does not directly threaten his or her life. +3: The subject will do anything.
The Forgetful Mind (3): With this power, the vampire is able to steal, create, and remove memories from a subject. The player must describe to the DM in some detail what these memories are, since the DM may know that other knowledge the person possesses will make the implanted memories seem confusing or contradictory to the affected individual.
Base: The vampire can make slight alterations to the memory; for example, the subject might know that somebody bit them on the neck, but maybe it was a lover and not a vampire. +1: Simple but complete alterations to the memory are possible, up to one hour/vampire's level. +2: The vampire can alter up to a day/level of the person's memory. +3: Wholesale changes to the subject's memory are possible, up to one week/level. The vampire must keep eye contact with the subject for 1 turn/week being altered, but entire periods of the subject's life can be reconstructed.
Conditioning (4): This is effectively a suggestion power without end, as a vampire can cause the subject to do whatever the vampire wishes until the vampire is forced to stop (e.g., forced to return to its Haven for the coming day). The subject will obey the vampire's commands expressly, so long as s/he is in the vampire's presence. Maintaining eye contact is no longer necessary after the initial suggestion is given.
Possession (5): The vampire can take complete control of another person's (Low intelligence and higher) mind and body. The subject can be so completely Dominated that the vampire's presence, let alone eye contact, is no longer required to maintain absolute control. The subject will continue to obey each and every order (note that is not demonic possession - the body has not been taken over - the name only implies that the person is completely in the vampire's control). However, it usually takes time to cultivate a subject's mind for Possession. A vampire cannot Possess another vampire - this must be done through the Blood Bond.
Essentially, the vampire must completely overwhelm the subject's Willpower/Wis in order to gain complete control. Once per day, the vampire tries to exert Possession. The subject saves vs. Willpower/Wis. If the subject fails, one point of Willpower/Wis is "overcome." A success only prolongs the struggle - the attempt can be made again in the next 24-hour period (unless the subject is able to spend 5 CP to completely resist all attempts at Possession by this vampire for the next year). After a failed Willpower/Wis check, the next check is made at the new, lower rate (the subject's Will/Wis statistic has not really been lowered, only lowered for purposes of saves against Possession). When the subject's Willpower/Wis is at 0, the subject is Possessed.
If the vampire wants to brutally Possess a subject all at once, it may do so by expending a number of Blood Points equal to the subject's Willpower/Wis statistic. This gives the subject no chance to resist the Possession. This Possession "burns out" the subject's brain, turning the subject into an automaton who is completely incapable of independent action.
Obfuscate: The vampire excels at hiding among and away from crowds. When Obfuscate is used against a vampire with Auspex, an opposed Intuition/Wis roll must be made; if the Obfuscating vampire wins, the Auspex vampire either does not see the former, or doesn't realize the former's true appearance. Children are sometimes able to see through Obfuscate, especially those who are not yet acculturated and retain their own unique perspective on the universe. Obfuscate does not work against animals (thus, a dog may start barking at a vampire that the human cannot see).
Cloak of Shadows (1): The vampire's ability to hide is not very potent at base level, so the vampire needs some sort of cover to help hide itself. Most often, such cover is the shadows of an alley or recessed door frame, but this may also work if the vampire interposes a tree or lamppost (no matter how narrow) between itself and the one being hidden from. Once under cover, the vampire must remain completely motionless in order to remain obscured. If the vampire moves, or the viewer moves to an angle from which the vampire is in their direct line of sight, then the Obfuscate power fails.
No rolls need to be made (as opposed to a thief's Hide in Shadows skill), once the criteria have been met. However, those with Auspex at a level higher than the character's level of Obfuscate will see right through the shadows. Detect Invisiblity and True Seeing will defeat this power.
Vanish (2): The vampire can disappear from plain view for a short period of time. Even if standing face-to-face with a mortal, the vampire can exercise this power and vanish for one turn. This ability works as Invisibility with regard to attacking while vanished. Detect Invisiblity and True Seeing will defeat this power. Buying this ability at +1 allows the vampire to cause subjects to forget that they ever saw the vampire for that time period (this will not work if the vampire verbally or physically interacted with the subject; only if the subject simply saw the vampire). The vampire must then leave immediately, as this memory loss will be defeated if the subject sees the vampire again. Items and spells that protect a person from mental influence will render that person immune to this effect.
One Thousand Faces (3): This potent ability does not allow the vampire to hide from the gaze of others, but does make the vampire look different. The physical appearance of the vampire does not actually disappear, but instead the subjects of this Discipline are mentally deceived into thinking they see somebody else. Detect Illusion and True Seeing abilities defeat this power.
Base: The vampire can assume the shape of another humanoid of approximately the same size and weight. Gender and race, within this restriction, can be altered, and specific people can be visually imitated (although voice or mannerisms are not changed by this skill). +1: The vampire can imitate voice and mannerisms of a new person, as well. +2: The vampire can change appearance for the next hour without needing to concentrate on using this ability again.
Unseen Presence (4): The vampire becomes Invisible, as per the spell, for up to 24 hours unless the invisibility is dropped at the vampire's desire or by the vampire's actions. Abilities that Detect Invisibility, and True Seeing, will defeat this power.
Cloaking the Gathering (5): The vampire can extend any of its Obfuscate powers to those people (vampires and mortals) around it; 1 additional person for every class level the vampire possesses. If one person compromises the disguise or invisibility, then only s/he is no longer under the protection of the vampire's powers. However, if the Obfuscating vampire compromises this ability, then the cloak drops completely and everybody can be seen.
Presence: This is a power over people's emotions, not their judgment. Unlike Dominate, these skills can be used on many people at the same time. Eye contact is not necessary; often, Presence will simply affect everyone within sight of the vampire. It is not possible to give people orders using Presence, as the power is completely nonverbal. The vampire can cause others to feel things or react in certain ways toward it, but direct manipulation of their minds is the domain of Domination.
Protection against mental influence will not protect somebody from this Discipline. A player character vampire's constant companions might develop a resistance to this Discipline, especially if the vampire with Presence isn't usually roleplayed as very imposing or worthy of respect or fear, unless the vampire deliberately turns its Presence powers against them, in which case the DM might allow the other player characters a save vs. the vampire's Leadership/Charisma.
Awe (1): People in the presence of the vampire feel more intense emotions toward that vampire. They are mentally cowed, seeming to sense the enormous energy of the vampire, and will do nothing to incur its wrath. Though they do not necessarily desire to serve or befriend the object of their awe, people affected will generally do what they can to avoid angering or upsetting the vampire. Of course, immediate foes and those fighting for their lives will be able to ignore the feeling of awe, although it may make them hesitate (slow them one intiative in combat).
Entrancement (2): The subject of Entrancement is enchanted by the vampire and will desire to serve its needs. If the subject has a reason to want to resist this Entrancement, s/he may save vs. Reason/Intelligence to shake off the attraction. Unlike a person Possessed with the Dominate power, subjects of Entrancement retain freedom of action and creativity. Because so much freedom of will is maintained, an Entranced person does not count as a Retainer, and cannot be forced to do things that s/he would not normally wish to do. Base: Subject is Entranced for one day. +1: For one week. +2: For one month. +3: for one year.
Compulsion by Attraction (3): This causes all those around the vampire to be intensely attracted to it. They will do anything reasonable to be close to the vampire. They are fascinated, but not so completely consumed that they will endanger themselves; they have an obsession about the vampire, but it's not an entirely blind one. The effects last only as long as the subjects are in the vampire's presence, but the next time they see the vampire, the feelings are likely to be reawakened (not requiring another roll unless events have interceded -eg., they have been forcibly told or shown proof that the vampire is malign).
By carefully using this power, vampires can seem to have phenomenal powers of mass communication. Since Presence uses emotion to sway victims, it doesn't really matter what the vampire says in order to convince people of a certain course of action or the nobility of a cause. If the vampire is actively trying to convince a group of people to do something that they may have doubts about, the group must collectively save vs. the vampire's Leadership/Charisma. Failure means that they are convinced; success means that they may have reservations and will want to discuss the possibility. The vampire can attempt a new attempt to convince a group every turn.
Base: Two people can be convinced at a time. +1: Six people. +2: Twenty people. +3: Everyone in the vampire's immediate vicinity (e.g., an entire auditorium).
Summon (4): The vampire may call a person from a very great distance and that person will come to attend to the vampire's desires. The subject of the Summons may not know exactly why they are walking across the room to the stranger, but the vampire's powerful presence will completely entrance the subject. Vampires have been known to Summon a person from half-way around the world; such is indeed possible, but in order to Summon a person who is out of sight, the vampire must have previously met the person. When a person is Summoned, s/he knows exactly where to find the character and will home in on that location flawlessly.
The exact time it takes for a subject to fulfill the Summons can vary, but the subject will always take the fastest available means of transport. Real-world concerns like money limit the response time, but if the subject happens to be short of cash and can't afford a Teleport, there's always horseback or ship. The Summons must be repeated each day if it takes more than one day for the subject to reach the Summoner - each Summons lasts for 24 hours.
Base: The vampire can summon any subject within the same city. +1: The vampire can summon any subject in the same state or realm. +2: The vampire can summon any subject on the same continent. +3: The vampire can summon the subject from anywhere in the world. Under no circumstances can a vampiric Summons cross planes.
Majesty (5): The vampire with Majesty is almost universally respected and/or feared. The sight of the Majestic vampire causes jaws to drop in awe and even the most courageous to inexplicably know fear. The vampire simply seems to formidable that no one would even consider crossing it, let alone making a physical challenge. Anyone desiring to do so must save vs. Willpower/Wis at -5. Character Points or (for vampires) Blood Points may be spent to modify this saving throw for +1 per point so spent (a natural 1 always fails, a natural 20 always succeeds), but the Majestic vampire may in turn spend Character Points or Blood Points to lower the saving throw at -1 per extra point spent (the -5 is automatic). The # of points spent to modify the saving throw should be determined secretly by Majestic vampire and attacker, and then compared to determine the final saving throw.
Those who fail a saving throw against this effect will do whatever is necessary to avoid incurring the wrath of the vampire.
Protean: This Discipline allows vampires to transform either their entire bodies or parts of their bodies into something that is not human. No roll needs to be made; the transformation is automatic and takes 1 round to accomplish. However, in the case of the total body transformations (Earth Meld, Beast and Mist), one Blood Point must be spent each time a change is made, including going back to mortal form. The transforming vampire does not gain the hit points upon returning to its own shape that Polymorph or druidic shapechange provide.
The vampire may use most other Disciplines while in a transformed state; only those that are obviously unusable will be adversely affected (e.g., most Presence powers). Those in animal form may therefore still read auras and communicate with animals. Only when a vampire is in Mist form should additional restrictions be applies; for example, eye contact cannot be made, so Domination powers cannot be used.
Those possessing this aptitude to any degree have a strange tendency to mutate slightly in appearance over time, even to the point of gaining unnatural features such as enormous eyebrows, feline eyes or dark, leathery skin. These features get more obvious the higher the level achieved. Each vampire will have some sort of side effect, although the player is allowed to choose freely what it will be.
No transformations are possible when a vampire is staked through the heart. Some suspect that this is possible at higher levels of ability, but it has never been confirmed.
Gleam of Red Eyes (1): The vision of a vampire with Red Eyes can be very eerie. Essentially, the vampire's eyes glow a bright red and show hints of infinite depth. With Red Eyes active, a vampire can see perfectly in normal darkness. Sight is possible even in complete darkness, making this ability akin to Ultravision. For +1 VP, the vampire can also add heat-sensitive Infravision to its vision choices. For +2 VP, the vampire develops Life Sense, able to detect living or undead creatures.
Wolf's Claws (2): The vampire is able to grow one-inch claws on each finger at will. The claws make excellent weapons in combat and a vampire can use them in unarmed attack. Each claw does 1d2 hp damage - thus, 5d2 per hand. Strength bonuses apply to this form of attack, and if used in conjunction with a martial arts attack, the claw damage adds to the normal hand-to-hand damage being inflicted. (Thus, a vampire who has Wolf Claws and Strength does 1-2 normal hand damage, plus 5d2 Wolf Claws damage, +4 Strength damage for an 18.76 Strength.)
Earth Meld (3): One of the most prized powers a vampire can possess, Earth Meld has saved the life of countless vampires through the ages. Characters with this power do not so much assume another form as they make the earth part of themselves. Those viewing an Earth Meld will simply see the vampire sink into the ground.
It must be earth that the vampire sinks into. It is virtually impossible to meld into earth through another substance, including stone or more than a foot of water. If a vampire is in desperate straits and wants to try melding into stone, it must make a save vs. Muscle/Str. Success means the meld works; failure indicates that it does not, and the vampire must find earth (only one attempt may be made to meld into stone per day). A natural 20 on this check means that part of the vampire's body is trapped in the stone, and the vampire will lose all or part of a limb (Regeneration will allow the vampire to reconstitute this limb).
Earth Meld makes the earth a Haven for the vampire when outdoors.
Shadow of the Beast (4): This power is very simple; the vampire may transform into two types of animal - one that walks, and one that flies or slithers (a swimming form is not available to vampires; remember, also, the definition of "animal" given earlier). The player may choose the animals (at DM's discretion), but the animals chosen should reflect some facet of the vampire's personality, even if it is perhaps a normally hidden aspect. The beast-form is a Shapechange for purposes of gaining the animal's natural abilities.
Base: 2 animals. For every extra VP spent on this skill, the vampire can choose another animal (must be predetermined) to transform into. Again, in general these animals should follow a theme centered around the vampire's personality or conception.
Mist (5): The vampire with this ability can transform into mist (gaseous form). The vampire moves at normal movement rate, may not be affected by most physical attacks, and can slip through the tiniest of openings at ease. Additionally, being in gaseous form allows the vampire to resist sunlight for twice as long as normal - the sunlight still does harm, but is passing through the mist.
A vampire with this ability will be forced into mist form after being dropped to 0 hit points, instead of being killed. The vampire must immediately return to a Haven within 12 turns and rest 8 hours while it reforms a corporeal body. Unless the vampire has a Regeneration skill, the vampire will reform its body at 1 hit point, and must regain the rest of its hit points through normal means.
These ideas were blatantly ripped off of the Vampire: The Masquerade books. If you like them, be sure to buy the books so you can add skills that I didn't include here!
