Born of the unholy union of a mortal and a vampire, dhampyrs are a people that walk in both light and shadow. They appear as the heritage of their mortal side and sharing all of their physical traits, though their skin is often much paler, their irises may have an unusual reddish tint, and they frequently exhibit slightly oversized, pointed canine teeth.
Because of the wholly unnatural nature of their birth, many dhampyrs are rejected by society, as many believe that they are slaves to the same hunger that plagues all vampires. And while some dhampyrs certainly exhibit that craving for blood, others inherit other, more benign traits from their vampiric parent. Pariahs in their communities, many of these half-vampires turn to the life of adventure to find some measure of peace or to make their names as mercenaries, bounty hunters, or spies.
While many dhampyrs complain about discomfort while exposed to direct sunlight, they do not exhibit the same physical damage to sunlight as their vampiric scions. As such, some of them may pass for abnormally pale humanoids—until someone comes into physical contact with them, at which point they will feel cool, clammy skin that has at least been partially touched by the hand of undeath.
You can find more information about Dhampyr here.
When you choose this heritage at first level, select the traits from an existing heritage. This represents your mortal parent and reflects your physical appearance and any additional senses or features you may acquire. Additionally, you gain the following traits, regardless of selection:
Age. Because of their partial vampiric heritage, dhampyrs age slower than average mortals. The lifespan indicated by the traits you originally chose is doubled.
Darkvision. You gain darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. If you already had darkvision as a result of your choice of traits, the range of your darkvision instead extends by 60 feet.
Deathlike Torpor. Your body does not need a full night’s sleep to recharge. Instead of sleeping when you take a long rest, you fall into a trance-like torpor for 4 hours. During your torpor, you suffer no penalty to passive Perception. A long rest remains 8 hours for you as normal, and the remainder of the time must be filled only with light activity.
Though their mortal origins may be varied, dhampyrs often gain supernatural abilities from their vampiric parent. In addition to the traits inherited from your mortal parent, choose one of the following gifts:
Courtly Charm. Vampires have some measure of natural charm, and you are no exception. You gain proficiency in Persuasion, or an expertise die if you were already proficient. Additionally, once per long rest you may cast the spell charm person without the use of verbal components. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting modifier for this spell, whichever is highest.
Unnatural Grace. Your partially vampiric origins grant you an ethereal speed and grace. Your Speed increases by 10 feet, and you gain an expertise die to your initiative rolls.
Vampiric Bite. Your oversized fangs are longer than those of most dhampyrs and can serve as natural weapons. You are only able to bite a grappled, incapacitated, or restrained creature. Your fangs count as finesse weapons for you, and on a hit your bite deals piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (whichever is highest).
¶ Vampire Feats
Most dhampyrs reject their vampiric origins, but others may choose to pursue them for one reason or another. If you do wish to become more like your vampire parent, you may take the Newblood feat without needing the prerequisites whenever you would normally be able to acquire a feat or an ability score increase. If you already had the Vampiric Bite heritage gift before you take this feat, you gain an expertise die to your attack roll with your fangs in addition to the features bestowed by the Newblood feat.
When you reach 10th level, you become a better dhampyr and gain one of the following paragon gifts:
Defy Gravity. You have inherited your vampiric parent’s unsettling ability to scale even the most impossible surfaces. You are permanently under the effects of the spider climb spell. Additionally, you have advantage on ability checks and saving throws made to maintain your balance.
Melt into Mist. Like your vampiric parent, you may briefly assume a lesser form of mist. As an action, you may turn yourself and everything that you are carrying into a hovering, wispy cloud, as in the spell gaseous form, though it is always considered to be cast at 5th level for you in terms of calculating your flying speed. This form lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier or until you choose to end it as a bonus action.
If you are still airborne when this effect ends or you drop to 0 hit points, you fall at a rate of 30 feet per round. Once you have assumed this form of mist in this way, you cannot do so again until you complete a long rest.
Touch of the Grave. Though you may not have a craving for blood, you have inherited the vampire’s ability to sap the energy of others to grant you health. You learn the spell vampiric touch and it is always considered to be prepared at 5th level for you. You may cast this spell once per long rest without consuming a spell slot.
Dhampyrs are often a people forced into the margins of society. Deeply misunderstood and reviled for their parentage, more than one dhampyr child has been abandoned on the doorsteps of churches and other religious institutions.
The exact way a dhampyr is conceived is a mystery. Many scholars struggle to explain how the unliving and the living may create a child that is something in between. Some claim that blood rituals or dark magic is required for this to happen, while other, gentler scholars speculate that it is only through the intense power of love that such a child is created.
Regardless of how they came to be, dhampyrs are children caught between two worlds. While they can walk in the sun and are unbothered by holy symbols and garlic, they retain many of their vampiric parent’s physical characteristics: unnaturally pale skin that is cool to the touch; long, pointed canine teeth; and their unnaturally long lifespans. Most do not inherit a craving for blood, though there are a handful that do, and those with that craving often wish to dispense with their human side and embrace that which makes them special. Other dhampyrs revile their vampiric origins, viewing it as an undue burden. And still others learn to accept what they are and do whatever they can to leverage their unnatural powers to do good.
Most dhampyrs lead tragic lives as exiles, though more than a few of them wind up as adventurers. Some make great names for themselves as monster hunters and bounty hunters, where their vampiric traits give them an edge that most mortals lack. Others use their long lifespans to become wise sages or collectors of history and knowledge.
While you may choose any culture for your dhampyr character, the following cultures are linked closely with this heritage: forsaken, itinerant, lone wanderer.