Vampire, Shadow Human Fighter* (CR 7)

Medium Undead (Augmented Humanoid)
Alignment: Chaotic evil
Initiative: +8 (+4 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Senses: darkvision 60 ft., Listen +17, and Spot +17
Languages: Abyssal, Common


AC: 24 (+4 Dex, +6 natural, +4 armor), touch 13, flat-footed 20; Dodge, Mobility
Hit Dice: 5d12 (32 hp); DR: 10/silver and magic
Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +4
Speed: 30 ft.
Space: 5 ft./5 ft.
Base Attack +5; Grapple +10
Attack: slam +10 melee or +1 spiked chain +12 melee, mwk shortbow +10 ranged
Damage: Melee slam 1d6+8 plus Strength damage or +1 spiked chain 2d4+11; Ranged mwk shortbow 1d6/x3
Special Attacks/Actions: Blindflght, Power Attack, blood drain, create spawn, Strength damage. dominate, summon shadows, spell-like abilities CL 5th (3/day - darkness)
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 19, Con -, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 12
Special Qualities: Undead traits, fast healing 5; resist cold 10, electricity 10, +4 turn resistance, shadow form, shadow jump, DR 10/silver and magic, light weakness
Feats: Alertness, Blind-fight, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (spiked chain), Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (spiked chain), Weapon Specialization (spiked chain)
Skills: Bluff +9, Climb +9, Hide +11, Listen +17, Move Silently +11, Ride +12, Search +9, Sense Motive +3, and Spot +17
Advancement: By character class
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary
Treasure/Possessions: +1 spiked chain, masterwork shortbow, masterwork chain shirt

Source: Dragon #348

Blood Drain (Ex) A shadow vampire can suck blood from a living victim with its fangs by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained. On each such successful attack, the shadow vampire gains 5 temporary hitpoints.

Strength Damage (Su): Living creatures hit by a shadow vampire's slam attack (or any other natural weapon the vampire might possess) take 1 point of Strength damage. For each point of strength damage dealt, the shadow vampire gains 5 temporary hit points.

Dominate (Su): A shadow vampire can crush an opponent's will just by looking into his or her eyes. This is similar to a gaze attack, except that the shadow vampire must use a standard action, and those merely looking at it are not affected. Anyone the shadow vampire targets must succeed on a DC 13 Will save or fall instantly under the shadow vampire's influence as though by a dominate person spell (caster level 12th). The ability has a range of 30 feet. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Summon Shadows (Su): A shadow vampire can summon 1d4+1 shadows to serve him, once per day. These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the shadow vampire for up to 1 hour.

Shadow Jump (Su): A shadow vampire can travel between shadows as if by means of a dimension door spell. The limitation is that the magical transport must begin and end in an area with at least some shadow. A shadow vampire can jump up to a total of 100 feet each day in this way; this may be a single jump of 100 feet, two jumps of 50 feet each, or any number of smaller leaps up to the total 100 feet.

Attacking from surprise whenever possible, shadow vampires strive to keep their opponents off balance and terrified. Able to slip through the gloom or hide as an animate shadow, a shadow vampire prefers to single out a lone target against whom to make hit-and-run attacks. A shadow vampire often uses lesser undead as decoys and diversions, commanding them to distract allies while it goes for its true target's neck.

Attuned to the powers of night, shadow vampires draw their strength from the tenebrous depths of the Plane of Shadow, their forms reflecting the darkness of their undead souls. Able to travel through shadows and summon beings of unliving gloom, shadow vampires embrace the darkness as a deceptive ally in their endless hunt for blood.

This example uses a 5th-level human fighter as the base creature.

Augmented Subtype

A creature receives this subtype whenever something happens to change its original type. Some creatures (those with an inherited template) are born with this subtype; others acquire it when they take on an acquired template. The augmented subtype is always paired with the creature's original type. For example, a wizard's raven familiar is a magical beast (augmented animal). A creature with the augmented subtype usually has the traits of its current type, but the features of its original type. For example, a wizard's raven familiar has an animal's features and the traits of a magical beast.