Vampire Strigoi - Pathfinder creature template

Strigoi (Vampire) (CR +1 or +2)

Creating  a Strigoi
“Strigoi” is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature) provided it can complete the required ritual or that it possesses 5 or more Hit Dice, is a member of an arcane spellcasting class and meets at least one of the following criteria: born with a second heart; human with red hair and blue eyes; mother was cursed during pregnancy; seventh child and all previous siblings were of the same sex. A strigoi retains all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

CR: 5 HD or less, as base creature +1; 6 HD or more, as base creature +2.

AL: Any evil.

Type: The creature’s type changes to undead (augmented). Do not recalculate class Hit Dice, BAB, or saves.

Senses: A strigoi gains darkvision 60 ft.

Armor Class: Natural armor improves by +6.

Hit Dice: Change all racial Hit Dice to d8s. Class Hit Dice are unaffected. As undead, strigoi use their Charisma modifier to determine bonus hit points (instead of Constitution).

Defensive Abilities: A strigoi gains channel resistance +4, DR 10/magic and good, immunity to turning, and resistance to cold 20 in addition to all of the defensive abilities granted by the undead type.

Weaknesses: Strigoi cannot rest (or regain hit points, prepare arcane spells, and so on) unless able to lie in their home coffin, near soil from their native homeland, or within the location of a victim’s interment. This restriction may be relaxed or ignored on other planes, particularly the Ethereal Plane, the Shadow Plane, negative dominant planes and planes aligned with evil.

When resting during daylight hours, a strigoi enters a deathlike state of repose and cannot rouse itself (see repose below).

Strigoi cannot tolerate the strong odor of garlic and will not enter an area laced with it. Similarly, they recoil from strongly presented holy symbols. These things don’t harm the strigoi—they merely keep it at bay. A recoiling strigoi must stay at least 5 feet away from the holy symbol and cannot touch or make melee attacks against the creature presenting it. Holding a strigoi at bay takes a standard action. After 1 round, a strigoi can overcome its revulsion of the object and function normally each round if it makes a DC 25 Will save.

Strigoi cannot enter a private home or dwelling unless invited in by someone with the authority to do so. They are likewise unable to escape their coffin (or cross the threshold of an alternative place of interment) if a branch of wild rose is laid upon it.

Although many animals display no adverse reaction to the presence of strigoi, some become terrified and uncontrollable while one is near and without regard to any shape it may have assumed. Horses in particular are known to be strongly strigoi averse.

Strigoi cast no shadow and display no reflection in any surface in any form (see Shadowless below). They also display the outward appearance of their age and continue to advance, albeit very slowly, into further outward decrepitude (but see Rejuvenation below).

A strigoi is powerless to leave land in order to cross a river or ocean using any form of movement except at high or low tide. This includes all modes of movement gained or altered by the use of a spell or ability, but does not include teleportation. The strigoi is not prevented from being moved by an outside force, nor is a strigoi rendered immobile if placed on a boat at sea or on the middle of a bridge; the strigoi can move normally in these instances but must take the shortest path back to land when able.

Sunlight does not harm a strigoi, but it diminishes all of the strigoi’s powers except at noon (see Wax and Wane below).

Destroying a Strigoi: While strigoi are extremely difficult to destroy there are a few methods proven to end the foul existence of these creatures. They are vulnerable to decapitation and certain piercing attacks. Strigoi can be killed by any slashing attack and by piercing attacks made with a wooden stake, cold iron weapon, or good-aligned weapon. When such an attack reduces a strigoi to 0 hit points it is immediately destroyed unless able to succeed a Fortitude saving throw (DC equal to the Armor Class hit by the attack).

Piercing the heart of a helpless strigoi with a wooden stake, or cold iron or good-aligned weapon instantly slays it (this is a full-round action). In this case however, the creature can return unless the head is also severed.

Fire damage that reduces a strigoi to 0 hit points destroys it as does immolating a helpless strigoi.

Baring these methods of permanent destruction, a strigoi that it reduced to 0 hit points is not destroyed: At night the strigoi automatically assumes gaseous form and attempts to escape; During the day, the creature falls prone and is helpless but assumes gaseous form by nightfall if not destroyed beforehand. Unlike common vampires, strigoi who are forced into gaseous form can persist that way until the first light of day. At that point, the strigoi reverts to the shape it held prior to being reduced to 0 hit points and lies helpless wherever it falls.

Speed: Same as the base creature.

Melee: A strigoi gains a bite attack if the base creature didn’t have one. Damage for the bite depends on the strigoi’s size (1d6 for a medium sized vampire). The strigoi’s bite also exposes the victim to the curse of vampirism (see Vampire’s Curse below).

Special Attacks: A strigoi gains several special attacks. Save DCs are equal to 10 + 1/2 the strigoi’s HD + Cha modifier unless otherwise noted:

Blood Drain (Su)  

A strigoi’s bite allows it to suck blood from a helpless, willing, or grappled living victim with its fangs by making a successful grapple check. When successfully pinned, the target is also drained of blood. It takes 1d4 points of Strength damage and 1 point Constitution damage each round the pin is maintained and must succeed a Fortitude saving throw or become fatigued. The strigoi can also choose to inflict damage with its bite attack as part of the action used to initiate or maintain the pin.

The save DC of the fatigue effect is Charisma-based.

Regardless of how many standard actions a strigoi can take, it may only drain blood once per round. A strigoi cannot cast a spell with verbal components, drink a potion, speak, or otherwise use its mouth during the same round that it drains a victim’s blood unless the strigoi has more than one suitable orifice.

Blood Familiar (Su)  

A strigoi can initiate a humanoid victim of its blood drain ability into an obscene alliance. If a strigoi drinks from the subject and the subject then consumes the strigoi’s blood within an hour, the victim is drawn into a more insidious parasitic relationship and takes on qualities not unlike those of a familiar. The victim is afflicted with the vampire’s curse if they have not succumbed to it already (see vampire’s curse). The strigoi has an empathic link with the victim, can share spells with it, deliver touch spells through it, and can scry on it (as scrying) three times per day. The victim gains low-light vision, light sensitivity, negative energy affinity, and takes no penalties from energy draining effects.
These effects end if the victim is freed from the vampire’s curse and the victim may actually become a dhampir in time if not cured. In any case, the offspring of a victim of this ability may be born a dhampir, living strigoi, or both.

A strigoi may only have one blood familiar at a time.

Create Spawn (Su)

A strigoi can create spawn out of humanoids it slays with blood drain, provided that the slain creature is of the same creature type as the strigoi’s base creature type. The victim rises from death as a strigoi or vampire spawn (moroi) in 1d4 days. The spawn is under the command of its creator, and remains enslaved until the master’s destruction. A strigoi may have enslaved spawn totaling no more than twice its own Hit Dice; any spawn it creates that would exceed this limit become free-willed undead. A strigoi may free an enslaved spawn in order to enslave a new spawn, but once freed, a spawn cannot be enslaved again.

Dominate Victim (Su)

A strigoi can crush the will of a humanoid it has previously victimized with its blood drain ability as a standard action. The target must succeed on a Will save or fall instantly under the strigoi’s influence, as though by a dominate person spell (caster level 12th). The ability has a range of 30 feet and must be used within 24 hours of a successful blood drain attack. At the GM’s discretion, some strigoi might be able to affect different creature types with this power.

The save DC of this effect is Charisma-based.

Post-Hypnotic Suggestion (Su)

A strigoi can hypnotize the subject of its blood familiar ability and implant a hidden command within the victim’s subconscious mind. This functions as triggered suggestion except the range is unlimited if the strigoi has an active empathic link with the victim.

This hypnosis can only be performed at night, however the subject will carry out the suggested action whenever it is triggered.

Vampire’s Curse (Su)

A living humanoid becomes the subject of the curse of vampirism when it has been bitten by a strigoi.

Curse of Vampirism: Bite—injury; save Fort DC 1/2 the vampire’s Hit Dice + the strigoi’s Cha modifier; onset —; frequency —; effect victim charmed (cl 12), suffers a -2 penalty on saves against charm or compulsion effects the strigoi uses, and will rise as a strigoi within 1d4 days of death by any means; cure blood transfusion, remove curse and either remove disease or dispel evil within 1 minute of each other, or destruction of the strigoi. The save DC is Charisma-based.

A humanoid may become cursed when suffering the bite of a strigoi. The victim of the vampire’s curse is more easily manipulated by its tormentor and is immediately subject to a charm person effect as the spell (caster level 12th). In addition, the subject of the curse suffers a -2 penalty on saving throws against charm or compulsion effects used against it by the cursing strigoi. Finally, the victim rises from its grave as a strigoi within 1d4 days should it die while cursed. The newly risen creature is under the control of the strigoi who created it unless this would cause the creator to have a total number of enslaved spawn greater than twice its own Hit Dice. In any case, the creator can choose to enslave a spawn that died while it was cursed provided the creator can see the subject and that enslaving this spawn does not exceed the Hit Dice limit.  An enslaved spawn freed by its creator cannot be enslaved again; it becomes a free-willed undead.

The new strigoi thirsts for the blood of the living and behaves like a normal strigoi in all respects whether or not it is enslaved.

The vampire’s curse can be lifted in three ways. First, the victim can be cured by receiving a total blood transfusion within a 24 hour period, although they are unlikely to survive this process without magic or advanced technology. Successfully casting remove curse and either remove disease or dispel evil within 1 minute of each other cures the victim. Finally, the death of the strigoi who issued the curse frees the victim.

Even if cured, a long-suffering victim may slowly take on the traits of a dhampir and the offspring of former victims of curse may be born a dhampir, living strigoi, or both.

Special Qualities: A strigoi gains the following:

Animate Victim (Sp)

Any humanoid creature that is killed by a strigoi can be animated as a skeleton, zombie or fast zombie under the strigoi’s control. The age of the corpse determines the type of undead creature it becomes. In all other respects, this ability functions identically to the animate dead spell.

Strigoi with 10 or more Hit Dice also has a limited ability to animate a victim as a crawling hand, draugr, ghoul, wight or wraith. This ability functions as create greater undead and the strigoi must meet any additional requirements indicated. Any undead created this way are not under the strigoi’s control and the effect only lasts until dispelled or until dawn at which time corporeal undead become lifeless and wraiths dissipate.

Victims who have received a proper burial, or that have been cremated, can never be animated with this ability. Similarly, a strigoi is unable to animate a victim if any of the following conditions are met: the heart is pierced with a wooden stake or iron spike, or cut in two; the mouth is filled with garlic; the corpse is damp with holy water; a holy symbol or blessed item is laid on the corpse.

Blood Fury (Ex)

A strigoi does need to consume blood to survive and can function without it indefinitely, however, failing to consume blood can cause a strigoi to enter an uncontrolled frenzy at the sight of it.  After one week passes without using blood drain, the strigoi flies into a blood fury if it detects fresh blood within 30 feet. In this state, the strigoi gains a +4 profane bonus to Strength and Charisma, a +2 profane bonus to Fortitude saves, and a –2 penalty to Armor Class and must attempt to use blood drain or otherwise consume blood until sated with no less than 3 pints of fresh blood. The strigoi targets an unattended container of blood or helpless victim if one is within 10 feet. Otherwise, it seeks the nearest source of blood and attempts to destroy any impediment. The strigoi does not discriminate between friends and foes during a blood fury.

A strigoi can attempt to regain control of itself once each round by succeeding a Will save. The DC for this save is at least 20, but could be much higher depending on how much time has passed since the strigoi’s last taste of blood. A strigoi is staggered for 1d4 rounds if it ends a blood fury without fulfilling this fiendish hunger.

Change Shape (Su)

The form of a strigoi is not entirely fixed and it can learn to take on new forms. A strigoi at least 2 Hit Dice can use change shape to assume the form a single animal at will (chosen when the strigoi gains this ability), as beast shape I. The chosen form must be of an animal native to the strigoi’s homeland and it must either be parasitic or predatory in nature or have cultural associations with death or disease.

Strigoi with at least 4 Hit Dice can either increase or decrease in size (as either enlarge person or reduce person), or can assume up to two different forms as beast shape II within the same limitations described above. These strigoi can also choose to add cosmetic variances to their animal forms as they are assumed. For example, a strigoi could assume the form of a wolf or of any large dog breed so long as there are no differences in the statistics of these shapes.

Strigoi with 6 or more Hit Dice may be able to take on more powerful forms and with fewer restrictions. The creature’s age and imagination is the most important factors in determining the limits of this ability. At first, the strigoi may simply gain additional options similar to the forms it can already assume but as the vampire begins to more thoroughly understand the nature of its being it might gain the ability to become a swarm of creatures (as verminous transformation) or a living shadow (as shadow body).

If the strigoi’s ability to assume a wide variety of powerful forms is sufficiently out of balance with its number of Hit Dice, adjust the creature’s final CR accordingly.

Gaseous Form (Su)

As a standard action, a strigoi can assume gaseous form at will (caster level 5th), it can remain gaseous indefinitely and has a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability.

Hypnotic Gaze (Su)

Any humanoid creature looking into a strigoi’s eyes find it difficult to target the creature in combat. Such creatures take a -4 morale penalty when attempting to attack the vampire while they are no more than 30 feet away. Creatures the strigoi has targeted with an attack, or offensive spell or ability, and those not relying on sight do not suffer this penalty. Attempting to avert one’s eyes can also negate it (see gaze attacks).

Strigoi rest with their eyes open and enjoy this protection even while helpless or paralyzed.

Hypnotic Voice (Su)

A strigoi gains a +2 racial bonus on the save DC of any charm or compulsion spells or effects it uses against humanoids.

Moon Motes (Su)

A strigoi can travel as dust along moonlight, but only at night while the moon is visible and only if the light of the moon touches the strigoi. Under these conditions, a strigoi who assumes gaseous form can choose to be visible only as a sparse cloud of dust motes, which grants the strigoi concealment. In this form, the strigoi can fly in a manner similar to the wind walk spell except that the duration is unlimited while the moonlight touches the strigoi.

As soon as the strigoi is no longer touched by moonlight, it assumes either gaseous form or whatever shape it was in prior to assuming gaseous form (the strigoi chooses unless the effect is ended by the coming of dawn, in which case it can only take the shape it held prior to assuming gaseous form).

Repose (Ex)

When a strigoi chooses to rest during the day it enters a deathlike state of repose. It remains conscious and aware in this state but is paralyzed for 8 hours or until nightfall, whichever comes first. If the strigoi has used its revitalize ability three or more times during the same 24 hour period, it becomes lethargic in its satiation. A fully satiated strigoi must succeed a Fortitude save each hour while the sun shines (DC 20 with a cumulative -1 penalty for each previous check) or it is immediately paralyzed and the condition persists for 10 hours. A strigoi can choose to rest normally at night and is not compelled to rest during daylight hours unless it has consumed its fill of blood.

Note that a strigoi disturbed while in repose may require an extended rest to prepare arcane spells, however the paralyzed condition ends after 8 (or 10) hours or at nightfall in any case.

Revitalize (Ex)

When a strigoi drinks blood, any outward signs of aging begin to reverse and are eliminated after the consumption of about 1 pint of fresh blood. The strigoi also gains fast healing 5 for one hour.  This ability cannot repair damage caused by good-aligned weapons, or spells or effects with the good descriptor and is suppressed while the strigoi’s heart is pierced by a wooden stake, or a cold iron or good aligned weapon.

A strigoi who rests within 24 hours of using this ability recovers hit points or ability score points (lost to ability damage) at twice the normal rate.

Signs of the strigoi’s true age begin to resurface after one month passes without using this ability.

This effect is less potent if the strigoi drinks animal blood, the blood of humanoids of a type other than the strigoi’s base type, or blood that was extracted more than 10 minutes beforehand. At the GM’s discretion, such blood may not activate this ability at all or the strigoi may be required to consume greater amounts to achieve the same results.

Note that drinking this quantity of blood requires a few minutes and must usually be done outside of combat.

A strigoi need not use blood drain to revitalize itself. The strigoi is most likely to use blood drain once and then dominate a victim so that it becomes a willing participant in the process while the strigoi sucks blood from the victim’s fresh wound(s).

Shadowless (Ex)

A strigoi casts no shadows and shows no reflection in a mirror.

Unnatural Senses (Ex)

A strigoi can instinctively sense high and low tide or the approach of dawn, dusk and noon. The strigoi automatically attempts a DC 15 Perception check to detect these changes as they occur. This ability only functions on the strigoi’s native plane, although it may be used after sufficient time is spent studying natural phenomena in other realms (GM’s discretion) The DC should increase when the strigoi is indoors or underground. Add +5 or +10 to the DC depending on the degree and duration of any separation from these phenomena.

Vampire strigoi can recognize other strigoi, living or dead, by making a DC 20 Perception check after a period of interaction or observation lasting at least one minute.

Wax and Wane (Ex)

The position of the sun has a tremendous affect on a strigoi’s powers as well as on any speallcasting ability the strigoi may possess. During daylight hours, a strigoi loses all ability score modifiers, skill modifiers, and feats gained from this template. Furthermore, the strigoi’s defensive abilities are reduced by half (channel resistance +2, DR 5/magic, resist cold 10) and it cannot use the following abilities: animate victim, change shape, create spawn, gaseous form, or post-hypnotic suggestion. The strigoi must also make a concentration check (DC 20 + the level of the spell) or lose any spell it attempts to cast.

At the moment of dawn or dusk and during the hour of noon, the strigoi can use cast spells normally and may change shape (or revert to humanoid form) once. It remains in the chosen shape until another opportunity to change shape arises.

Some of the strigoi’s powers are enhanced during the noon hour. It regains all template ability score modifiers, skill modifiers, and feats, receives an additional +2 bonus to both Strength and Charisma, and can act as though hasted for up to 5 rounds (these rounds need not be consecutive).

As soon as sunlight is visible, or the noon hour has passed, all spells with a duration greater than instant that the strigoi previously cast are suppressed unless the strigoi succeeds a caster level check (DC 15 + the level of the spell). Any suppressed spells resume at nightfall if their durations have not expired.

Ability Scores: Str +6, Dex +4, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +4. As an undead creature, a strigoi has no Constitution score.

Skills: Strigoi gain a +8 racial bonus on Bluff, Perception, Sense Motive, and Stealth checks.

Feats: Strigoi gain Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, and Toughness as bonus feats.

A note on strigoi weaknesses:
(While a strigoi would be unable to fly or wind walk to cross running water, directing a hurricane force wind with via control winds to be blown across the water is possible. Even if the strigoi controls the wind, it is an outside force which enables this movement. GM’s should keep in mind that not all strigoi will be clever enough, let alone powerful enough, to circumvent this weakness)

A strigoi exists in state between life and death, as well as between flesh and spirit.

ECOLOGY

Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or family (1-3 strigoi plus 2-6 vampire spawn)
Treasure standard

A strigoi (singular and plural) is a type of vampiric entity which, according to scholars of ancient necromancy, derives unusual powers by possessing two souls. Those born with two hearts or a family’s seventh child of the same gender are thought to be predisposed to strigoism while others who desire this power must enter into fiendish pacts to obtain it. Living strigoi are almost always sorcerers, warlocks, or witches with the powers of animal control, hypnotism, necromancy, shapeshifting and weather manipulation. When a strigoi would die, there is a chance that they will become a vampire strigoi instead. Like those who seek to become a lich, a strigoi spellcaster can attempt a complex ritual process to become one of the undead.

Vampire strigoi are similar to common vampires in many respects and it is easy to confuse the two, even for those with extensive knowledge of undead lore. Indeed, the more common vampire varieties rarely possess the sensitivity to recognize a vampire strigoi for what it is.

Ecology

Vampire strigoi resemble their living selves in almost every detail, at least at first. With time they exhibit more and more unusual characteristics which reveal their true nature. Unlike common vampires, strigoi are undying but not ageless; their appearance continues to devolve after death albeit at a slower rate. Depending on the individual’s age at the onset of undead strigoism their hair will grey, and then whiten or fall out, while the skin becomes paler, more translucent, and spotted. Aged vampire strigoi may bend at the spine and grow bow-legged, though they keep their balance remarkable well. Upon drinking blood however, a strigoi’s appearance changes suddenly and all signs of aging begin to reverse; well-fed strigoi can even grow younger in appearance. Some of these creatures have a preferred apparent age and seek to maintain it unless circumstances dictate otherwise. By regulating their blood consumption, a strigoi can gain a +2 circumstance bonus on Disguise checks and ignore all penalties for appearing as a different age category, although doing this can be very challenging if the strigoi wishes to appear older as this may cause them to experience blood fury.

Strigoi often develop mannerisms or physical traits that betray their predatory nature: unusually high and angularly arching eyebrows, claw-like fingernails, thick patches of hair growing from the palm of their hands, or a tendency to grin maniacally or display their teeth when smiling. All strigoi will have slightly longer teeth than average while at the same time their gums tend to recede and grow pale. In fact, a strigoi’s teeth are one aspect of their appearance that never changes even as they age; regardless of the strigoi’s apparent age their teeth are noticeably healthy and perfectly white.

Habitat & Society

Strigoi are unlike many other types of undead in that they often identify themselves as strigoi before their death. Individuals who possess some of the predisposing attributes of strigoism often turn unconsciously towards the powers of necromancy, while those who discover and admire the benefits of strigoism endeavor to strike deals fiendish powers in order to become a strigoi.

Vampire strigoi are surprisingly varied with regard to their short term goals and general behavior during the infancy of their perpetual existence. Some may simply awake from death and return to their homes and former lives, maintaining relationships, loyalties, and prior practices. Others will immediately strike out from their graves and visit physical or mental torment upon the living, perhaps even favoring their former loved ones as the targets of their malice.

Masquerading among the living can be a simple matter for some vampire strigoi as, unlike the common vampire (which they call moroi), they can function quite well during the day and don’t require blood to survive. In some cases, the strigoi’s living friends and relatives may not even know the strigoi has died. On the other hand, this would be much more difficult for a physician, sailor, or farrier.

Sooner or later undead strigoi will move on to new enterprises. Perhaps this will be after their relatives have died out (or been killed off), after all of their scores have been settled, or after the world of the living has become too tedious and stale. As these creatures exist in a state between flesh and spirit, they have a hunger for both that can never be fulfilled. They might spend decades (or centuries) experiencing one decadent pleasure after the next, studying relics of lost cultures or forgotten religions, or attempting to unravel the origin of the cosmos. Others will indulge in pure blood lust, perhaps instigating and then engaging in deadly conflicts or simply stalking and killing one creature after another until the community fights back or is annihilated.

Ultimately, strigoi seek to manipulate the bodies and souls of the people they prey upon, whether living or dead. They create a parasitic web stretching across borders, and even planes, lying at the center and holding on to many threads. There they may become engorged with their spoils and yet never sate their appetites.

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