Vampire Thrall
Vampire Thrall (Heavy Role; CR 9)
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. Their regular small doses of vampire blood keep thralls in a constant state of ecstatic empowerment, nearly immune to pain and injury, utterly and fanatically loyal to their dark masters, and nearly impossible to put down cleanly.
Most thralls are willing, but not all. it is not unheard of for Vampires to punish their living foes by attacking their loved ones, and in especially cruel cases, turning them into thralls.
Such a fate is to be avoided. Vampires must be rooted out everywhere they are discovered, without pause or hesitation.
GENERAL
CR 9 Hit Dice 14
XP 12,800 (Heavy Role included)
NE Medium Humanoid
Init +4; Senses Keen Scent, Perception +16
DEFENSE
AC 28, touch 18, flat-footed 22 (+5 armor, +6 dex, +5 natural, +2 deflection)
hp 320 (Heavy Role included)
Fort +12, Ref +8, Will +10
Aura: -
SR: 19
Special Defenses: DR 10/Good
Immunities: -
Weaknesses: -
OFFENSE
Speed 50 ft., Greater Climb 30 ft
Space / Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Single Melee Wrenching Grasp +16 (2d8+13/x2) + Staggering Blow (See below)
Full Melee 2 x Wrenching Grasp +16 (2d8+13/x2) + Staggering Blow (See below)
Ranged None, but see Droning Voice and Horrible Pounce
Special Attacks Droning Voice, Staggering Blow, Stuporous Gaze, Horrible Pounce
Action Points 1 (Heavy Role included)
STATISTICS
Str 43, Dex 16, Con 23, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 15
Base Atk +9; CMB +15; Maneuver Defense: 25
Feats
- Antagonize: Make a Diplomacy check as a standard action against a target in sight. The DC is 10+ Character Level (CR) + Wisdom. If successful the target takes -2 to hit on any attacks that do not target the thrall who Antagonized it, and a ten percent spell failure chance on any spells that do not target the thrall who Antagonized them.
- Urban Forager: Thralls are exceptionally adept at surviving in cities, which is useful for when their dead masters neglect things like feeding and housing them.
Skills Diplomacy +15, Knowledge (Local) +14, Bluff +14, Survival +14
Languages Common, Necril, up to two other languages based upon campaign location
SPECIAL ABILITIES
- Staggering Blow (Su)
Once per round, as a swift action, a Vampiric Thrall may lash out with a savage backhanded blow on a target within reach. This is treated as a melee touch attack with a +11 to-hit. If the Thrall hits, the victim takes 2d6+1 points of bludgeoning damage and is Pushed up to three squares, where they fall Prone. Creatures struck may make a Reflex save, DC 19, to avoid being knocked Prone, though they are still subject to the forced movement.
- Horrible Pounce (Su)
Thralls are supernaturally strong and quick, and can move in flickering bursts of speed that have to be seen to be believed. Once per round, as a standard action, the Thrall may Slide up to three squares and at the end of the Slide make two Wrenching Grasp attacks upon an unfortunate victim within their reach. As forced movement, this does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
- Droning Voice (Su, Stance)
A Vampire Thrall may begin speaking about the glories of Vampires, waxing rhapsodic over their dead lords and the wonders they bestow. At least, that's how the Thrall imagines it. In reality, they begin speaking in a dreadful monotone, their madness flowing out with their voices to affect all non-vampires (thralls included) within thirty feet of their square. Droning Voice is a stance, and requires a swift action to initiate and a swift action each round to maintain, and may be broken by knocking the Thrall Prone or causing it to lose any action, just like any stance. Droning Voice may be used out of combat, in which case it can be maintained for up to a minute at a time, as all stances. Droning Voice is a sonic-based effect.
Non-vampires within the area of effect of Droning Voice must make a Will save against a DC 19. If they fail this save, they are Fascinated as the bard ability. Fascinate is broken by any overtly threatening or violent action.
Even worse, Vampires and other Thralls within the area of effect of Droning Voice are heartened by the declarations of the maddened thrall, and gain +1 to to-hit, damage, and saves, and may re-roll any save they fail while in the area of effect. The results of the re-roll must be taken, even if they are worse than the first result.
- Stuporous Gaze (Su)
Once per encounter, as a swift action, a Vampire Thrall may direct their dull-eyed gaze worshipfully upon any vampire in their line of sight. That vampire is heartened by the faithful presence of its brain-fried vassal, removes any conditions it may be suffering from, and may take an immediate standard action usable as an interrupt.
- Live To Serve (Ex)
When a Vampire Thrall is first reduced to zero hit points, it collapses in a heap but does not die. Instead, all the Vampire Blood in their system is suddenly consumed by their raging metabolism, healing them and driving them into a frenzy of agonized rage. From the time they are reduced to zero hitpoints until their next initiative count, they lay un-moving, to all appearances dead. Upon their next action, they gain a +4 bonus to-hit on all melee attacks and can now perform their Horrible Pounce ability even while prone, grappled, or entangled. In addition, they are healed up to half their full hit points, and all conditions they may have been suffering from are removed. Unfortunately, while under the effects of Live To Serve, they may use no feats and cannot use their Droning Voice ability, their mouth being occupied with incoherent screams of agonized rage as they suffer withdrawal.
As an interesting note, if a Vampire Thrall is subjected to a successful Neutralize Poison spell (after SR and its Will save), its Live to Serve power is negated and cannot be used again until it can find its master and get some more blood. The Thrall's other powers are unaffected.
TREASURE
sell value of approximately 8,000 gp (Heavy-role bonus included)
COMBAT TACTICS
Vampire Thralls are the ultimate faithful groupies, completely besotted by the 'glories' of their undead masters and willing to do anything, anything at all, to please the monsters they are in service too. Most thralls chose this life willingly, but by no means all. Vampire Blood is a horrifying thing, a dark elixir that breeds mind-boggling glories of pleasure and terrible agonies if it is withheld.
Thralls are unfortunately well-equipped to serve as lackeys to their monstrous masters. They are nearly un-killable, supernaturally strong and fast, and their besotted minds fester with madness and cravings that they can use to infuse their voices with powerful effects.
In combat, a Thrall will first attack, using Staggering Blow upon a foe and then Horrible Pounce to close and attack their now-Prone foe. If the combat begins at range, a Vampire Thrall will close the distance, hands empty and looking like they wish to surrender or beg for rescue, and will then initiate a Droning Voice in order to Fascinate as many foes as possible and allow them and their Masters time to get into melee range.
Once in combat, one Thrall will usually be using Droning Voice to praise the Masters, granting a buff to all vampires and thralls in range, while the rest will use Staggering Blow and Horrible Pounce. Thralls are not savvy combatants, but they hardly need to be: Staggering Blow combined with Horrible Pounce is brutally effective.
If any Vampire takes damage, the closest Thrall will use their Action Point to make an Antagonize roll against the attacker or biggest threat, to draw attacks away from the Master. If more than one Vampire and Thrall is present, they will make Antagonize rolls against as many targets as they can.
Vampire Thralls will sacrifice themselves without hesitation, take hostages, threaten innocents, set fires, and generally do anything at all to protect the precious existence of their masters. Just because they are alive and started out as human does not make them any less a monster.
Out Of Combat
Vampire Thralls look exactly like the humans they once were, at least, until the battle damage starts to mount up. Once their terrible 'Live To Serve' power has activated a few times, if they survive, thralls begin to look positively horrific, terrible scars and disfigurements being common. Mounting battle damage is a constant reason for Vampires to be looking for new Thralls.
Thralls have the Urban Forager feat to emulate their uncanny ability to live and thrive despite the utter neglect of their undead patrons. Thralls can and do live with no homes, no jobs, no money, and no hope, only their addled devotion to their Masters. That said, Thralls can 'clean up' and pass for normal with appalling ease, and frequently do so.
Thralls in service to an established nest of Vampires will go out during the day, scouting likely victims for their Masters, keeping an eye out for the Watch, holy warriors, doppelgangers, and especially heroic adventurers. At night, the Thralls report to their Masters and venture forth with them, in eager service to their dreadful hunts. If a Master in wounded and needs care, Thralls will use their Droning Voice ability to Fascinate victims, concentrating on commoners, the elderly, and children. Any easy target will be picked off, bled for sustenance, and disposed of.
Thralls can be anybody, and worse, a thrall can be turned and broken by a Vampire at any time. A kindly inkeep might have been perfectly human when night fell, and a secret monster the next morning.
Thralls make excellent urban threats, when literally anyone can become a raging beast. The fear and paranoia this breeds in a town can lead to many tense and exciting adventures, as the monsters are rooted out and destroyed.
A note on Strength: Thralls have a Str of 43, regardless of their size or muscle. This means a Thrall has a Light load of 3200 pounds! This Str is quite intentional: Thralls are supernatural things that look totally human: The sweet little barmaid who suddenly goes into a rage, babbling crazily about 'the masters' as she casually tears the massive locked doors out of the wall to get at you is every bit the image of the Vampire Thrall. GM's are encouraged to play up the ease with which a thrall lifts and carries things around, contrasted with their completely normal appearance.