d20 Bottled Imp Games The Lords of the Night Vampires.pdf

BOOK ONE OF THE DARKNESS RISING SERIES

CREDITS

Author: Stuart ‘Karis’ Renton

Editor: Stuart Renton

Cover Art: Ralph Horsley

Interior Art by: Ralph Horsley, Scott Purdy, Kanwar Dillon,

Elliot Christian, John McSweeney

Graphic Design: Jason Barr Sawyer

Katharein Concept: Gavin Birch

Thanks to: Christopher Coyle and Andrew Kenrick

Playtesters: Gavin Birch, Andrew Kenrick, Allen Norris

The terms Beholder, Mind Flayer, and Drider are used with permission from

Wizards of the Coast ® .

Bottled Imp Games

Visit our website at http://www.bottledimpgames.com

All characters, names, places, items, art and text herein are copyrighted by Bottled Imp Games 2004. “D20 System” and the D20 System

logo are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast and are used under the terms of the D20 Trademark License. A copy of this License

can be found at www.wizards.com. The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the

trademark or copyright concerned. Dungeons and Dragons ® and Wizards of the Coast ® are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, and are

used in accordance with the Open Game License v1.0a and D20 Trademark Licenses contained on page 130 of this book.

CONTENTS

Contents …………………………………………….. 2

Chapter Six: Magical Spells ……………………. 67 to 78

Spells and Domains …………………………….. 78

Dark Watcher ………………………………………. 3

Chapter Seven: Magical Items ………………… 79 to 83

Introduction - What this book is about …………….. 4

Chapter Eight: Avystervan – City of Graves ….. 84 to 92

Chapter One: A Treatise on Vampires ………… 6 to 10

Chapter Nine: Vangual – God of Blood ………. 93 to 95

Churches in the Mortal Realms ……………….. 95

Chapter Two: The Children of Vangual ………. 11 to 32

The Arrival of the Stranger ……………………... 11

Ash Vampires ……………………………….... 12 to 14

Black Bloods …………………………………...… 15

Fire Vampires ……………………………….....16 to 17

Lost Vampires ……………………………….... 18 to 19

Mock Vampires ……………………………..... 20 to 21

Ravenous Vampires ………………………...... 22 to 23

Shadow Vampires ………………………….... 24 to 25

Vangaard ……………………………………... 26 to 27

Vampire Scion ……………………………….. 28 to 29

Dhampyre …………………………………..... 30 to 31

Vampire Touched ……………………………...... 32

Chapter Ten: The Ancient First ……………….. 96 to 98

Chapter Eleven: Vampire Broods …………..... 100 to 101

Chapter Twelve: New Monsters ……………... 102 to 109

Blood Hound …………………………………..... 102

Bloodling ………………………………………... 102

Blood Ooze ……………………………………... 103

Children of Vangual (sample) ………………..... 103

Consanguineous Vampire …………………….... 104

Elemental, Blood ……………………………….. 105

Vampire Ghoul ………………………………..... 106

Vampire Simulacrum …………………………... 107

The Black Cabal’s Creations ...……….... 108 to 109

Chapter Three: Vampire Rules ………………... 33 to 37

Vampire Age Table .................................................... 33

Sunlight Damage Table ........................................... 37

Vampire Traits/Weaknesses …………….............. 38

Chapter Thirteen: The Void …………………...110 to 113

Vampiric Void Table

112

Chapter Four: Black Classes ...…………………. 39 to 57

Black Barbarian ………………………………..... 40

Black Bard ……………………………………….. 40

Black Cleric ……………………………………... 41

Black Druid …………………………………….... 42

Black Fighter ………………………………….…. 43

Vampiric Blood Weapons ………………...... 43

Black Monk …………………………..………..… 44

Black Paladin …………………………………..... 45

Black Ranger …………………...……………...… 46

Black Rogue ……………..…….……………......... 46

Black Sorcerer …………………………………... 47

Black Wizard …..……………………………….... 48

Vampiric Familiar ............................................ 48

The Dark Trinity ……...……………….... 49 to 57

Black Cabal ……………………….... 50 to 51

Blood Mage ……………………….... 52 to 53

Blood Knights …………………….... 54 to 55

Devoted Incarnate .……………….... 56 to 57

Servants of the Void

113

Interlude: The Katharein …………………….............. 114

Chapter Fourteen: Katharein ……………….. 115 to 117

Chapter Fifteen: DM’s Notes ………………….118 to 122

Using Energy Drain …………………………..… 118

Role-Playing a Vampire ……………………….... 119

Redemption – a Cure for Vampirism ………..... 120

Chapter Sixteen: Adventure Hooks .................. 123 to 124

Darkness Rises: The First Truth …………………. 125

Epilogue: Choices ……………………………... 126 to 127

Lexicon ……………………………............................ 128

Vampire Master Age Chart ………………….......129

Chapter Five: Vampire Dark Gifts ….…………..58 to 66

Vampire Dark Gifts - Summary

Index/OGL …………………………………………....130

DARK WATCHER

My name is Phillian Artus Alucidan. I have lived in the City for as long as I can remember, choosing to hide here when it

was nothing more than a tiny hamlet. I call it the City, although it goes by many names, each of them as empty and

meaningless as the last. For although the surroundings change, only I am eternal.

I do not use the word eternal lightly, for I am in so far as I am aware immortal, living until I am slain or choose to die. I have

seen wars and famine, flood and disaster, life and death. I am as endless as the blackness of night and as unreachable as the

stars. The people of this City do not know me; I am more permanent than the towering cathedral or the foundations of this

townhouse in which I reside.

I am fifty three years of age. One thousand, five hundred and fifty three, or thereabouts. It may seem like an eternity when

your heart beats out the ticks of endless time and every moment is precious, but to me the years have passed in a blur, a

heady whirl of intoxicating sensation and desperate loneliness. I no longer count time in the passing of hours or days, or

even years.

But in centuries...

I am scholar and sorcerer, seer and prophet.

I am also a vampire.

How I came into my second unlife is another story, but suffice it to say that I have lived here in the City for countless years,

hiding from those who would find me, and watching others of my kind as they pursue their endless games with the Powers

of Light.

I say Powers of Light, for they are opposite to us in every way. They cherish life; we dwell in darkness. They devote their lives

to destroying evil, while we ally ourselves with the shadow, true creatures of the night. They revere love and compassion;

we embody pain and suffering.

But I am above them. I have no master. While I am no longer mortal, neither am I a monster. I lie in a middle state,

requiring blood to feed, yet retaining my mortal mind. Yes, the cold Void of necromancy pulls at me - whispering of

darkness, of great powers and terrible lusts - but I do not listen. I rise above such things. I rarely use my powers, drink

sparingly from the blood of mortals, and it always helps to know the spells that keep the Void at bay. I know that to succumb

even once to the darkness will be to fall into shadow, and I must retain my mortal mind, my conscience and my sanity if

I am to withstand the task given to me.

I must continue to watch for as long as I am able.

I am watcher, historian and teller of truth, as much of it as I can see. I sit here in darkness, writing with not even a single

candle to cast back the gloom. My eyes need no light to see - I am a vampire and darkness is my friend, the shadow my ally.

And it is my only ally, for I have no affinity with others of my kind. Those who know of my presence leave me alone,

choosing not to see any merit in my existence or value in my destruction. So I am left to remain here, watching and writing

what I see.

Yet I do not study the vampire races. I have my eyes firmly fixed on the mortal realms. A shift in the balance of power

between good and evil looms ever closer and the time for mortals hangs on a knife-edge.

But this story begins with a man called Devin. And he is a cleric of the Powers of Light. His first life is almost over, but the

choices he makes before he falls into shadow will shape the mortal realms forever.

A great darkness is rising. And I intend to be right in the middle of it.

Watching...

INTRODUCTION - WHAT THIS BOOK IS ABOUT

Foreword: It’s not real. It’s only a game. Vampires don’t exist. They really don’t! Sure – there are some people who really,

really want to believe... But remember – vampires don’t exist! People don’t drink blood or sleep in coffins. Remember

exactly who you are when you put this book down - a living, breathing person.

Why a Revised Edition: I felt that it was time. A year has gone by and with it, the emergence of Dungeons and Dragons

3.5. The rules, the vampires are overpowered in the new rules, and so I felt that I could scale them more appropriately with

the new edition and add some more information that made this book more in-keeping with my current vision of the

Darkness Rising series.

Definition of a Vampire: He who drinks blood to survive. It’s as simple as that. Well ok, there’s a bit more too it than that

perhaps, but essentially, vampires were once living creatures that have been raised from death by necromancy. Not all

vampires have fangs or claws, some look far from human. While a great majority may be evil, not all want to drink the

blood of virgins, or to live in nightmarish castles, despotic masters of all they survey. You will find many vampires in this

book, not all of them conform to the traditional view of the walking dead.

Playing The Lords of the Night: Vampires: The Lords of the Night: Vampires can be played on many levels. It can be

about power; a player could be openly saying ‘cool, I’m a vampire now!’ - content to play in a world with new powers and

strange creatures of evil. Other players might be eager to stew in their own personal darkness - doomed by the knowledge

that they have been corrupted by necromancy and separated from the lives they once knew.

Being a vampire can be a journey of self-discovery or it can be about donning the mantle of dark avenger. It might even

be fun to play an evil character for awhile, although that isn’t what this book is about.

So what IS this book about?

This book is also about becoming a vampire. It’s about fear, about discovering a darker world that is teeming with evil. The

PCs will discover that the creatures of the night are preparing themselves, gathering their numbers in readiness for

something terrible. Exactly what is unknown - but they have been hiding for a very long time and their plans are about to

come to fruition.

In addition, this book is about creating something that’s deliciously sinister. The abilities and powers listed here are designed

to stir those creative juices to help you create something wonderful, dark and definitely vampiric. But remember, they are

only guidelines. It’s your world; no one can tell you how to run your game. So take what you will, change everything if you

like. Nothing is set in stone, least of all names, places and especially numbers.

It’s your world, have fun with it.

Just remember - vampires can be anywhere! Before you turn off the light tonight, make sure you check under the bed and

inside your closet!

The Beginning: As the Darkness Rising series progresses, the PCs may find options to shed off the curse of vampirism

and become something greater: hero vampires who have retained their mortality and become creatures of tremendous

power. But until those options reveal themselves the PCs will be forced to face despair and the cold darkness of undeath.

Not all of the answers are contained here. The PCs do not have the option to become hero vampires in this book. That

mystery remains unanswered, at least for now. Let your vampires discover a new world, a world of shadow and evil and let

them choose their side, or least let them choose what side they believe to be the right side. As the Darkness Rising series

progresses a great many things may change…

When all around you is bathed in shadow, it is hard to make out the truth.

Darkness Rises…

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