Vampire animal thralls are undead animals that were killed of a vampire`s life drain ability and risen from dead; they are often used as guardians, bodyguards or scouts. Having some kind of unnatural, evil intelligence they can understand simple commands and use simple strategies. They serve their vampire masters loyally till death. The hit dice of one or more vampire animal thralls count against the number of hit dice of vampires or vampire spawn the vampiric master can controll.

Vampire animal thralls almost look like normal animals but they are more ferocious and have black but empty eyes. Most of them have got sharp fangs and they always seem to thirst for the blood of the living. They do not fear battle, but they know their advantages and disadvantages. In many cases they start battle with their terrifying screams. Whenever they can they make use of their blooddraining or lifedraining attacks which has often turned a seemingly hard challenge into an easy battle for them.

Vampire animal thralls do not speak but they understand one of the languages of their masters.

 

Creating a Vampire animal thrall

Vampire animal thrall is an acquired Template, which can be added to every animal or monstrous animal (referred hereafter as the base creature)

A vampire animal thrall has all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Size and type: The creature`s type changes to undead. It retains any subtypes except for alignment subtypes. Do not recalculate attack bonuses or saves.

Hit dice: The creature`s hit dice change to d12s.

Armor Class: A vampire animal thrall`s natural armor bonus improves by 2.

Attack: A vampire animal thrall retains all the attacks of the base creature and also gains a bite attack if it has not already one. The bite attack deals an amount of damage which is dependend on the vampire animal thrall`s size category listed in the table in the MM.

Special Attacks: A vampire animal thrall retains all the special attacks of the base creature and gains those described below. Saves have a DC of 10 + ½ vampire animal thrall`s HD + vampire animal thrall`s Cha modifier unless otherwise noted.

Blood drain (Ex): vampire animal thralls can suck blood with their fangs by making a successful grapple check. If a vampire animal thrall hits an opponent with its bite attack (or one of his other attacks that allow making a grapple check if any) he can attempt to make a grapple check as a free action. If a vampire animal thrall starts its turn with a grappled foe it can make another bite attack with a bonus of +4. When successful it deals 1d4 points o constitution damage. When a vampire animal thrall drains a victim`s constitution he gains 5 temporary hit points. Temporary hit points gained this way last for up to one hour. A vampire animal thrall cannot drain more points of constitution in a single hour than its double number of hit dice.

Life drain (Su): Victims struck by one of the natural attacks of a vampire animal thrall suffer one negative level. A vampire animal thrall can use this attack 3 times per day but not more than once per round.

Frightful scream (Ex): Once per round a vampire animal thrall can make a loud and frightful scream. Victims within 60 feet must make a Will save or be shaken for 1d4 rounds. If the vampire animal thrall is at least medium sized victims with less than 5 HD are panicked instead. If a victim succeeds with his save he can`t be affected by any vampire animal thrall`s frightful scream for 24 hours.

Special Qualities: A vampire animal thrall retains all the special qualities of the base creature and gains the special qualities described below.

Daylight sensitiveness (Ex): When a vampire animal thrall is exposed to sunlight it can take only a single move action or attack action and is utterly destroyed at the end of the next round if it can not escape.

Damage reduction: A vampire animal thrall gains damage reduction 5/silver or magic

Fast healing (Ex): A vampire animal thrall heals 5 points of damage per round, as long it has at least one hit point left.

Resistances (Ex): A vampire animal thrall has resistance to cold 5 and electricity 5.

Turning resistance (Ex): A vampire animal thrall has a turning resistance of 2.

Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +2, Dex +2, Int +2, Cha +2.

Skills: Vampire animal thralls have a +4 racial bonus on Listen, Spot, Move silently and Hide. Otherwise, same as the base creature.

Feats: A Vampire animal thrall gains the feats improved grapple and improved initiative if it hasn`t them already.

Environment: Any

Organization: Solitary, Pair (2) or squad (3-6).

Alignment: Always chaotic evil

Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +2

Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +6

 

Vampire Animal Thrall Knowledge

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (religion) can learn more about vampire animal thralls. When a character makes a successful skill check the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.

 

DC 11: This creature is a vampire animal thrall. Risen from an animal killed by a vampire. This result reveals all undead traits

DC 16: Vampire animal thralls are tougher and more intelligent than normal animals. They also have a tougher skin than normal animals of their kinds.

DC 21:Vampire animal thralls have immunities to cold and electricity. They are hard to be hurt by normal weapons.

DC 26: Vampire animal thralls can drain the blood of their victims and steal their life energy

 

Sample Vampire Animal Thrall

This example uses a wolf as a base creature.

 

Vampire animal thrall wolf (CR 3)

medium size undead (augmented animal), CE

Initiative: +7; Senses: Listen +7, Spot +7, dark vision 60 feet, scent

Languages: Common (only understanding)

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AC: 17 touch 14, flat footed 14;

HP: 13 (2 HD); DR: 5/silver or magic

Immune: Undead immunities

Resist: cold 5, electricity 5

Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +5

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Speed: 50 feet (10 squares)

Melee: bite +4 (1d6+3)

BAB: +1 Grapple: +6

Attack Options: Trip

Special Actions: blood drain, life drain, frightful screams

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Abilities: Str 15, Dex 17, Con -, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 8.

Feats: Track, Weapon focus (bite), Improved Initiative, Improved Grapple

Skills: Move silently +8, Survival +1*, Hide +7

Environment: Any

 

Blood drain (Ex) Vampire animal thrall wolf can suck blood with its fangs by making a successful grapple check. If it hits an opponent with its bite attack he can attempt to make a grapple check as a free action. If a vampire animal thrall starts its turn with a grappled foe it can make another bite attack with a bonus of +4. When successful it deals 1d4 points o constitution damage. When a vampire animal thrall wolf drains a victim`s constitution he gains 5 temporary hit points. Temporary hit points gained this way last for up to one hour. A vampire animal thrall wolf cannot drain more than 4 points of constitution in a single hour.

Life drains (Su) Victims struck by the bite attack of a vampire animal thrall wolf suffer one negative level. It can use this attack 3 times per day but not more than once per round.

Frightful scream (Ex) Once per round a vampire animal thrall wolf can make a loud and frightful howl. Victims within 60 feet must make a Will save (DC 10) or be shaken for 1d4 rounds. Victims with less than 5 HD are panicked instead. If a victim succeeds with his save he can`t be affected by any vampire animal thrall wolf`s frightful scream for 24 hours.

Trip (Ex) If a vampire animal thrall wolf hits with its bite attack it can attempt to make a grapple check as a free action (with a bonus of +2 on its check), without making a touch attack or provoke an attack of opportunity. If the vampire animal thrall wolf succeeds it falls prone. If it fails the opponent can`t attempt to trip the vampire animal thrall wolf.

Skills A vampire animal thrall wolf gains a bonus of +4 on survival checks if it tracks somebody by its scent ability.

 

© Peter "Mervin Silberschlag" Hofer