Vampire Bruxa
Vampire Bruxa (CR 14)
Vampires are one of the great nations of Undeath. Vampires are Emptied Undead, meaning they have been cored out of life. Unlike most of the Emptied, they do not noticeably decay, although during battle their disgusting nature is amply evident in the mess they leave behind. Vampires are the greatest representatives of the Corrupting Undead, those undead who seek the preservation and continuation of life, so that they may corrupt it into ever more Undeath. As a result, the motivations of Vampires are more complex than the Destroying Undead or the Eaters.
Vampires like people. They like the trappings of civilization, they like the happy whirl of social life, they enjoy the company of others, both undead and living alike. Vampires want to make more Vampires, it is an erotic part of their existence that they would be greatly diminished by losing.
Vampires get along well with most other Undead, even though relations often involve the Vampires using their domination abilities or simply persuading the other Undead to be patient. It is not unusual for Vampires to be encountered with powerful Skeletons, Wights, Death Knights, Liches, and other mighty Undead, even including the Lost Ones, who make terrifying allies indeed.
On top of this, Vampires are unique among Undeath in that they create living allies, their Vampiric Thralls. The existence of Vampiric Thralls makes finding a Vampire nest immeasurably more difficult, because Vampire Thralls are alive. Thralls are mortals who admire and envy the Vampires for their abilities, and whom the Vampires have fed their blood to. Vampire Blood can create new Vampires, or, in lesser doses, a living human becomes addicted to it, as if it were strong drink, or some horrifyingly strong opiate.
Vampire thralls are the first rank of Vampire culture, the eternally obedient and awfully empowered servants whom the Vampires use to interact with the daytime world. But to a Vampire, the faithful Thralls are just servants and fighters, meat to be sacrificed and used up as required. No, most Vampires are far more occupied with the byzantine machinations of Vampiric Society, a dark carousel of midnight parties and dalliances in dark corners, plots and plans and schemes all woven together into a fascinating skein complex enough to keep even an immortal monster entertained.
Vampire Bruxa's are usually vampires who have reached a few centuries of age. (It is also possible for mighty Sires and Dams to create Bruxa's directly.) Most "young" vampires descend into the degeneration of the Nosferatu state, but those who survive a couple of dozen decades are usually 'encouraged' by their Elders to have a little more self-respect and care for their appearance.
As a result, after some time in the darkness, most vampires seek out magical ways to improve their appearance and re-enter the full whirl of the Dark Dance. Such vampires are the Bruxa's, and they throw themselves into their renewed social existence with enthusiasm, leaving their connections to the living world to molder away as the darkling years dash by.
Bruxa's are the most classically 'vampiric' in appearance, as they revel fully in their dire state of being. They prey upon Life with dedication, and participate in schemes and intrigues with great enthusiasm and considerable skill.
General
CR 14 Hit Dice 20
XP 38,400
NE, Medium, Undead
Init +6; Senses Standard Darkvision, Perception +21
Defense
AC 36, touch 21, flat-footed 32 (+9 armor, +4 dex, +6 natural, +7 deflection)
hp 315
Fort +15, Ref +15, Will +19
Aura -
SR -
Special Defenses -
Immunities:
- all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms)
- disease, poison, ability damage, ability drain, energy drain
- death effects, necromancy effects, sleep effects
- nonlethal damage
- paralysis, stunning, fatigue, exhaustion
- any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless)
Weaknesses:
- Healed by negative energy.
- Vampires take 10 points of non-resistable energy damage any time they end their turn in a square subject to daylight. This applies once per round in combat, or ten times per minute outside of combat. This weakness does NOT increase or decrease the damage a vampire takes from specific undead-damaging effects and attacks
Offense
Speed 50 ft. , Fly 50 ft
Space / Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Single Melee Vampire's Bite +23 (2d8+17/x2) + Bleed 14
Full Melee Bite +23 (2d8+17/x2) + Bleed 14, 2x Elegant Claws +25 (2d6+6/x2)
Ranged None, but see Mesmerizing Gaze and Swarm of Bats
Special Attacks Mesmerizing Gaze, Swarm of Bats, Vampires Hiss, Cloak of Shadows
Action Points 0
Statistics
Str 23, Dex 20, Con -, Int 17, Wis 19, Cha 21
Base Atk +14; CMB +23; CMD 31
Feats Mobility, EFFECT: AC 40 versus attacks of opportunity provoked by their own movement
Skills Diplomacy 21, Bluff 21, Knowledge, Local 21, Sense Motive 21, Stealth 21
Languages Necril, Common, Thanic
SPECIAL ABILITIES
- Mesmerizing Gaze (Su)
Once per round, as a swift action, Vampires may pour their charismatic essence into their piercing gaze and attempt to lull a mortal creature within 100 feet into sleep. The Vampire chooses a target to which it has line of sight and line of effect and forces them to roll a Will save versus a DC of 22. If they fail the save they are Asleep until they are awakened. If they make the save, they are Drowsy until the end of their next round.
- Vampire's Hiss (Ex)
Once per round as a standard action, a Vampire may pour its hunger for life into an ear-shredding vampire's hiss. This affects a fifteen foot cone, is a sonic-based area of effect attack which can damage objects, as the Bard's Staccato ability. All enemy creatures in the area of effect take 7d6+1 points of sonic damage, and may make a Fort save for half damage. If used to attack objects, the Vampire may make one Sunder on a single object in the area of affect using its CMB (+22).
- Swarm of Bats (Sp)
Once per round as a standard action, a Vampire may create a Swarm of Bats within 100 feet of its square. It must have line of sight and line of effect to the target square. A Swarm of Bats fills a four by four square around a target intersection. Note that this Area of Effect does NOT require an open space that size: it can be cast in a smaller space and merely lose some squares of effect. When it is created, a Swarm of Bats inflicts 7d6+1 points of slashing (physical) damage on all creatures in the area of effect. Affected creatures are allowed to make a reflex save, DC 22, for half damage. Once summoned, a Swarm of Bats remains until dismissed (a free action that can only be performed at the bottom of the summoning Vampire's turn) by the vampire that summoned them, or the end of the combat. On all rounds after they are summoned, Swarms of Bats block line of sight and line of effect through their squares. Any creature who enters a square affected by a Swarm of Bats suffers Bleed 14. Note that Bleeds do not stack.
- Cloak of Shadows (Su)
Once per round as a swift action, a Vampire may cause a flickering, shifting skein of shadows to surround themselves or one ally within fifty feet. The creature affected by Cloak of Shadows gains partial concealment, IE, a twenty percent miss chance. Cloak of Shadows lasts until the beginning of the Vampires next turn.
TREASURE
sell value of approximately 13,750 gp
COMBAT TACTICS
As a result of their widely varied personalities, Vampires can and do have many different styles of combat. Indolent types will hang back, send in a Thrall or two if they have them, and blanket parties in Swarms of Bats and start hissing when they get closer, backing away the whole time. More aggressive types will dive right in and go to full attacks, fighting alongside any Thralls, sure the thralls will work their hearts out to protect them as much as possible. Vampire fights should be wild, fast-moving affairs where the terrain changes frequently due to Swarms of Bats. Vampires are fully aware that Swarms block line of sight and line of effect, meaning they can be thrown on top of spell casters to shut them right down, and even the more pugnacious types will do this if they are aware of a dangerous caster. If there are Thralls around, and the Vampire does not feel threatened, they may use their Cloak of Shadows on the thrall. More likely, if a fellow vampire is in peril, they will Cloak each other.
Vampires are well aware of the power of their inflicted bleeds to stunt the healing effects of divine casters, and will be sure to hit any divine caster they see with Swarms and bites to be darn sure there are as many Bleeds as possible, to lower the chance of the Divine caster simply blasting them out of existence. Vampires like existence.
Once a fight begins vampires want to win, quickly and easily. If a fight turns nasty, they will usually run away without hesitation, abandoning any Thralls without a second thought. To flee, Vampires will usually use their considerable flight to break around a corner and then evade into the heavens.
NOTE: It should go without saying that Vampires, due to their weakness to daylight, avoid the sun like death. Vampires are indeed creatures of the night.