Dhampir is a unique race in D&D 5e, born from the union of a vampire and a mortal. They possess human and undead traits, including dark vision, resistance, bloodthirst, and sunlight sensitivity.
Dhampirs are versatile and adaptable in combat and other situations, and their undead heritage makes them an intriguing addition to any campaign setting.
In D&D lore, they are often depicted as mysterious and alluring, with complex relationships with both mortals and other undead creatures.
Create a Dhampir Character in DnD 5e
To create a Dhampir character in D&D 5e, you will need to consider several factors, including their ability scores, age, alignment, size, speed, traits, and languages.
Ability Score Increase
Dhampirs receive a +2 bonus to their Charisma score, reflecting their natural charm and allure. They also receive a +1 bonus to either their Dexterity or Strength score, reflecting their speed, agility, or physical prowess.
Age
Dhampirs mature at the same rate as humans but tend to live longer due to their undead heritage. This can be reflected in their backstory and personality, such as a sense of detachment from mortal concerns or a desire to experience as much of life as possible before their eventual demise.
Alignment
Dhampirs tend to have a chaotic or neutral alignment, reflecting their nature as creatures caught between the worlds of the living and the undead. However, there is room for variation depending on their upbringing, experiences, and beliefs.
Size
Dhampirs are the same size as humans, standing at around 5-6 feet tall and weighing between 100-200 pounds. This makes them versatile and adaptable in combat and other situations.
Speed
Dhampirs have a base walking speed of 30 feet, reflecting their undead speed and agility.
Traits
Dhampirs possess several traits in DnD 5e that reflect their undead heritage, including dark vision, undead resistance, bloodthirst, and sunlight sensitivity. Darkvision allows them to see in the dark up to 60 feet, making them excellent scouts and night-time adventurers.
Undead resistance grants them resistance to necrotic damage and immunity to disease, making them tougher than the average mortal. Bloodthirst allows them to gain temporary hit points when they deal damage with a bite attack, reflecting their vampiric nature.
Finally, sunlight sensitivity gives them a disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when in direct sunlight, reflecting their vulnerability to the sun’s rays.
Languages
Dhampirs speak Common and one additional language of their choice, reflecting their diverse cultural backgrounds and experiences.
When creating a Dhampir character, it’s important to consider their backstory, personality, and motivations, as well as how their undead heritage might affect their relationships with other characters and the world around them.
Whether they embrace or struggle to overcome their vampiric nature, a Dhampir character can add an intriguing and unique dimension to any D&D campaign.
Dhampir Subraces
Dhampirs are divided into two subraces
- Born
- Made
Both subraces of Dhampirs possess the same basic traits, including dark vision, undead resistance, bloodthirst, and sunlight sensitivity. However, the extent and potency of these traits can vary between Born and Made Dhampirs.
Regardless of the subrace, Dhampirs are unique and intriguing characters that can add great flavor to any D&D 5e campaign.
Born Dhampirs inherit their vampiric traits from their parents, who are usually vampires and mortals. They tend to be more attuned to their undead heritage, possessing stronger vampiric traits and abilities.
They are typically born with a natural understanding of the undead and often have a difficult time relating to normal human society. Born Dhampirs have a bite attack that allows them to drain blood from their victims, which can heal them and grant them temporary hit points.
Made Dhampirs, on the other hand, are humans who have been turned into Dhampirs through a vampire’s bite. They do not inherit their vampiric traits from their parents, but instead acquire them through the bite of a vampire.
As a result, Made Dhampirs tend to have less pronounced vampiric traits and are often more in touch with their human side. They have a bite attack similar to Born Dhampirs, but it is usually weaker and grants them fewer temporary hit points.
Dhampir Class Options
Here’s a more detailed explanation of Dhampir class options in the D&D 5e:
Rogue
Dhampirs make excellent rogues due to their innate stealth and sneakiness. They can take advantage of their vampiric traits to become formidable Assassins, able to take down targets with precision and finesse.
Additionally, their bite attack allows them to heal themselves in a pinch, making them more resilient in combat.
Sorcerer
Dhampirs can also excel in the Sorcerer class, with their vampiric heritage manifesting in the form of Shadow Magic. This allows them to manipulate darkness and shadows to their advantage, making them formidable foes in both combat and social situations.
With their heightened charisma and spellcasting abilities, they can be effective in both support and damage-dealing roles.
Warlock
Dhampirs may also be well-suited to the Warlock class in DnD 5e, particularly the Hexblade subclass. The Hexblade’s powers are fueled by a sentient weapon, which can fit well with a Dhampir’s bloodthirsty nature.
Additionally, the subclass grants the ability to curse enemies, which can be particularly useful in combat. With their pact magic and Eldritch Invocations, Dhampir Warlocks can be versatile and powerful characters.
Roleplaying a Dhampir 5e
Playing a Dhampir can offer a unique and compelling roleplaying experience in D&D 5th edition. By embracing your character’s duality, playing up their vampiric traits, and considering their backstory and social interactions, you can bring your Dhampir character to life in a memorable way.
Here are some tips for bringing a Dhampir character to life:
Embrace the duality
Dhampirs are part human, part vampire, and may struggle with their dual nature. Roleplay this internal conflict by exploring your character’s feelings about their vampiric traits, their human heritage, and how they fit into the world around them.
Play up the vampiric traits
Dhampirs inherit many of the abilities and weaknesses of vampires, such as enhanced senses, the ability to see in the dark, and vulnerability to sunlight. Use these traits to your advantage in combat and exploration, but be aware of their limitations as well.
Consider the social implications
Dhampirs may face prejudice and suspicion from humans and vampires, who may view them as abominations or monsters. Roleplay your character’s reactions to these attitudes, and how they navigate social situations as a result
Play to your class strengths
Depending on your chosen class, your Dhampir character may have unique abilities and skills that set them apart from others in DnD 5e.
Lean into these strengths when roleplaying, whether it’s using your stealth and sneakiness as a rogue, your spellcasting abilities as a sorcerer, or your pact magic as a warlock.
Think about your backstory
Dhampirs can come from a variety of backgrounds, and your character’s past experiences can inform their personality and behavior. Consider your character’s family history, how they became a Dhampir, and any significant events that have shaped their life.
The Best Races Before Becoming a Dhampir in DnD 5e
Before becoming a dhampir, a character would have belonged to a different race in D&D. Here are some races that could make for interesting choices for a character who later becomes a dhampir:
Human
Humans are the most common race in D&D and for good reason. Their versatility and adaptability make them a great choice for any class, and their lack of racial bonuses or penalties means they can be customized to fit any concept.
A human character who later becomes a dhampir might have a tragic backstory or a fateful encounter with a vampire that led to their transformation.
Tiefling
Fiends are the ancestors of tieflings, and their appearance and abilities often cause them to be outsiders in human society. This makes them a natural fit for a character who later becomes a dhampir, as they may already be accustomed to being ostracized or feared.
Tieflings also have a natural affinity for darkness and shadow, which could play into the vampiric theme.
Half-Elf
Half-elves have a foot in both the human and elven worlds, and their ability to blend in with either society could make them an interesting choice for a character who later becomes a dhampir.
Half-elves also have a natural charm and charisma, which could make them well-suited to classes such as sorcerers or warlocks.
Elf
Elves possess grace and longevity, and their innate dexterity and perception make them an excellent option for classes like Rogue or Ranger.
An elf character who later becomes a dhampir could have a dark twist on the usual elven beauty and grace, perhaps becoming more sinister or mysterious in their appearance and demeanor.
Dhampir NPCs
Suggestions for using dhampirs as non-player characters in a D&D 5e campaign, including as allies, enemies, or neutral parties Dhampirs can make for interesting non-player characters (NPCs) in a D&D campaign. Here are some suggestions for using them:
Allies
Dhampirs can make for interesting allies, as they may have unique abilities and perspectives that can aid the party. For example, a Dhampir rogue could help the party sneak into a vampire’s lair in DnD 5e, while a Dhampir sorcerer could provide valuable spellcasting support in combat.
Enemies
Dhampirs can also make for formidable foes, particularly if they have turned to the darker side of their nature. A rogue Dhampir assassin could be a deadly adversary, while a warlock Dhampir who has made a pact with a powerful vampire could pose a serious threat to the party.
Neutral parties
Dhampirs can also be useful as neutral parties, offering information or assistance to the party without necessarily aligning themselves with either side. For example, a Dhampir informant might be willing to provide information about a vampire’s weaknesses in exchange for a favor or payment.
Potential Organizations That Dhampir Might Belong in Dnd 5e
There are a variety of possible organizations that dhampirs might belong to in a D&D 5e campaign. One possibility is a vampire hunting guild, where dhampirs use their vampiric abilities to track and hunt down their undead kin.
These guilds could be secretive and selective, requiring a certain level of skill and dedication to join. Alternatively, dhampirs might band together in their own secret society, sharing knowledge and resources to survive in a world that fears and misunderstands them.
These societies could offer support and protection to dhampirs who have been shunned or persecuted by human society. Other possibilities include underground networks of dhampirs who trade in information or resources, or even rogue groups of dhampirs who use their vampiric abilities to prey on humans.
The specific nature and goals of these organizations would depend on the setting and the characters involved, but they can add an interesting layer of complexity and intrigue to a D&D campaign.
Backgrounds for Your Dhampir
Backgrounds are an essential part of character creation in D&D, helping to shape the character’s personality, backstory, and motivations. Here are some background options that could be well-suited to a Dhampir character in DnD 5e:
Haunted One
Dhampirs may struggle with their vampiric nature, and the Haunted One background could reflect this internal conflict.
The character in this background is haunted by a tragic event in their past that continues to haunt them, causing them to experience nightmares and feel disconnected from the world around them.
Criminal
A dhampir character who has turned to a life of crime might benefit from the Criminal background, which offers proficiency in stealth and deception skills.
This background could reflect a desire to live outside of human society’s strictures, or it could be a means of survival in a world that fears and hates dhampirs.
Noble
Dhampirs who come from wealthy or influential families may benefit from the Noble background, which offers proficiency in persuasion and insight skills.
This background could reflect a desire to use their status to protect and support their fellow dhampirs, or it could hide their true nature behind a facade of respectability.
Hermit
Dhampirs may struggle with their identity and the fear of being discovered, and the Hermit background could reflect this desire for isolation. This background offers proficiency in survival and medicine skills, reflecting a life spent in seclusion and self-reliance.
Summary
A dhampir is a creature in Dungeons and Dragons lore that is the offspring of a vampire and a human. They inherit some vampiric traits from their vampire parent but are not fully vampires themselves.
In D&D 5e, there are two subraces of dhampirs: born dhampirs who inherit their vampiric traits from their parents and made dhampirs who are humans turned into dhampirs through a vampire’s bite.
Dhampirs can be any class but may be particularly suited to certain ones such as rogue, sorcerer, or warlock. They can also have a variety of backgrounds, from being vampire hunters to members of secret societies of half-vampires.
