Fire Vampire — Living Flame from Beyond the Stars
A predatory knot of living stellar fire that feeds on vitality, passes through solid matter and gathers around the presence of Cthugha.
A Fire Vampire is not an undead vampire and not an ordinary fire elemental. It is a living concentration of alien flame: a shifting blue-white mass with an incandescent core, mobile tendrils and enough intelligence to stalk heat, life and psychic energy. Some roam independently; others gather around Cthugha as hunters, messengers and extensions of its burning presence.
At a Glance
Run It Tonight
Use a Fire Vampire as a moving hazard rather than a stationary bruiser. It passes through a wall, burns one target badly, then moves again before the party can surround it. The best encounters give the characters something besides hit points to protect: a ritual circle, a powder magazine, a trapped witness or a chamber where one burst of alien flame changes the whole battlefield.
Rules by Edition
Fire Vampire
Medium Aberration, typically Chaotic Neutral
AC 17; Initiative +4 (14)
HP 97 (13d8 + 39)
Speed 0 ft., Fly 60 ft. (Hover)
6 (−2)
18 (+4)
16 (+3)
10 (+0)
14 (+2)
16 (+3)
Saving Throws Dex +7, Wis +5, Cha +6
Skills Perception +5, Stealth +7
Resistances Acid, Lightning; Bludgeoning, Piercing and Slashing from nonmagical attacks
Immunities Fire, Poison; Grappled, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained
Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Lifesense 30 ft.; Passive Perception 15
Languages understands Deep Speech and Ignan; telepathy 60 ft.
CR 6 (2,300 XP); PB +3
Traits
Incorporeal Movement. The Fire Vampire can move through creatures and objects as if they were Difficult Terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) Force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
Living Flame. A creature that hits the Fire Vampire with a melee attack while within 5 feet takes 7 (2d6) Fire damage.
Lifesense. The Fire Vampire detects the presence of living creatures within 30 feet even if they are Invisible, though total cover still prevents precise targeting.
Actions
Multiattack. The Fire Vampire makes two Flame Lash attacks.
Flame Lash. Melee Attack Roll: +7, reach 10 ft. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) Fire damage plus 7 (2d6) Necrotic damage.
Soul Burn (Recharge 5–6). One living creature hit by Flame Lash this turn makes a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it takes 22 (4d10) Necrotic damage and can’t regain Hit Points until the end of its next turn. The Fire Vampire regains Hit Points equal to half the Necrotic damage dealt.
Flare Burst (3/Day). Each creature in a 15-foot Emanation makes a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) Fire damage and becoming Blinded until the end of its next turn on a failure, or half damage on a success.
Death Flare
When the Fire Vampire is reduced to 0 Hit Points, each creature within 20 feet makes a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) Fire damage plus 10 (3d6) Psychic damage on a failure, or half as much on a success.
Fire Vampire
Medium aberration, chaotic neutral
Armor Class 17
Hit Points 97 (13d8 + 39)
Speed 0 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)
6 (−2)
18 (+4)
16 (+3)
10 (+0)
14 (+2)
16 (+3)
Saving Throws Dex +7, Wis +5, Cha +6
Skills Perception +5, Stealth +7
Damage Resistances acid, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities fire, poison
Condition Immunities grappled, poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages understands Deep Speech and Ignan, telepathy 60 ft.
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)
Traits
Incorporeal Movement. The Fire Vampire can move through creatures and objects as difficult terrain and takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
Living Flame. A creature that hits it with a melee attack from within 5 feet takes 7 (2d6) fire damage.
Actions
Multiattack. The Fire Vampire makes two Flame Lash attacks.
Flame Lash. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) fire damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic damage.
Soul Burn (Recharge 5–6). A living creature hit by Flame Lash this turn must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 22 (4d10) necrotic damage and be unable to regain hit points until the end of its next turn. The Fire Vampire regains hit points equal to half the necrotic damage dealt.
Flare Burst (3/Day). Creatures within 15 feet must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) fire damage and becoming blinded until the end of their next turn on a failure, or half damage on a success.
Fire Vampire CR 6
XP 2,400
CN Medium outsider (extraplanar, fire)
Init +9; Senses darkvision 60 ft., lifesense 30 ft.; Perception +13
Defense
AC 20, touch 15, flat-footed 15 (+5 Dex, +5 natural)
hp 76 (8d10+32)
Fort +10, Ref +11, Will +7
Defensive Abilities incorporeal traits; Immune fire, poison; Resist acid 10, electricity 10; DR 5/magic; SR 17
Offense
Speed fly 60 ft. (perfect)
Melee incorporeal touch +11 (2d6 fire plus soul burn)
Special Attacks soul burn, flare burst 3/day, death flare
Statistics
Str —, Dex 20, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 16
Base Atk +8; CMB +13; CMD 28
Feats Ability Focus (soul burn), Improved Initiative, Mobility, Weapon Finesse
Skills Fly +19, Knowledge (planes) +11, Perception +13, Stealth +19
Languages Ignan; telepathy 100 ft.
Special Abilities
Soul Burn (Su). A creature hit by the incorporeal touch must succeed on a DC 17 Fortitude save or take 1d4 Charisma damage. A creature reduced to 0 Charisma dies. The save DC is Charisma-based and includes Ability Focus.
Flare Burst (Su). Three times per day, a 15-foot-radius burst deals 4d6 fire damage; Reflex DC 17 halves. A creature that fails is blinded for 1 round; a successful save leaves it dazzled instead.
Death Flare (Su). When reduced to 0 hp, the Fire Vampire explodes in a 20-foot radius. Creatures there take 6d6 fire damage and must succeed on a DC 17 Fortitude save or gain 1d2 negative levels.
Lifesense (Su). The Fire Vampire detects living creatures within 30 feet.
Ecology
Environment alien fire-realms, stellar anomalies and summoned sites
Organization solitary, pair or firestorm (3–5)
Treasure standard
Fire Vampire
Medium Outsider (Extraplanar, Fire)
Hit Dice 8d8+32 (68 hp)
Initiative +9
Speed fly 60 ft. (perfect)
Armor Class 20 (+5 Dex, +5 deflection), touch 20, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple +8/—
Attack incorporeal touch +13 melee (2d6 fire plus soul burn)
Special Attacks soul burn, flare burst 3/day, death flare
Special Qualities darkvision 60 ft., incorporeal traits, fire immunity, poison immunity, acid resistance 10, electricity resistance 10, DR 5/magic, SR 17, lifesense 30 ft.
Saves Fort +10, Ref +11, Will +8
Abilities Str —, Dex 20, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 16
Skills Hide +16, Knowledge (the planes) +11, Listen +13, Move Silently +16, Spot +13
Feats Ability Focus (soul burn), Improved Initiative, Mobility
Environment extraplanar fire and stellar anomalies
Organization solitary, pair or firestorm (3–5)
Challenge Rating 6
Treasure standard
Alignment usually chaotic neutral
Soul Burn (Su)
A creature hit by the Fire Vampire’s incorporeal touch must succeed on a DC 17 Fortitude save or take 1d4 Charisma damage. A creature reduced to 0 Charisma dies.
Flare Burst (Su)
Three times per day, the Fire Vampire releases a 15-foot-radius flare dealing 4d6 fire damage; Reflex DC 17 half. Failure also blinds for 1 round.
Death Flare (Su)
When destroyed, the Fire Vampire erupts in a 20-foot burst dealing 6d6 fire damage. A DC 17 Fortitude save negates the accompanying 1d2 negative levels.
Behaviour
Fire Vampires hunt sources of vitality rather than simply seeking combustible material. They hover near warm rooms, ritual sites and inhabited structures, waiting for isolated living creatures. A feeding Fire Vampire becomes brighter and more coherent, as though stolen life temporarily gives the flame a stronger body.
Those serving Cthugha are more purposeful. They scout ritual sites, punish interference and gather around stellar or volcanic manifestations associated with their progenitor.
Signs Before Initiative
- Scorch marks appear on stone without soot or an obvious source of fuel.
- Victims are desiccated or ash-blackened while nearby cloth and wood remain only lightly burned.
- Rooms become unnaturally warm before any flame is visible.
- Blue-white reflections move across walls after the source of light has passed.
- A sealed chamber contains burn patterns that continue straight through a solid wall.
- Cult sites dedicated to Cthugha attract increasing numbers of small heat anomalies before a full manifestation.
If Violence Starts
The Fire Vampire keeps moving. It uses walls, ceilings and vertical space to deny easy retaliation, flares when opponents cluster, and returns to wounded living targets to feed. It has little reason to remain beside heavily protected enemies if a weaker source of vitality is available elsewhere.
Counterplay
Containment is more important than pursuit. Force effects, sealed magical barriers and open spaces reduce the value of incorporeal movement. Fire is useless, while attacks capable of harming incorporeal creatures are essential in the older editions.
Do not assume cold automatically destroys one. These creatures are alien flame rather than ordinary combustion, and the legacy PF-style version is not defined by a cold vulnerability. Use force, magical weapons, psychic defenses and denial of living targets instead.
Fire Vampire Herald
A Fire Vampire Herald is a stronger manifestation associated directly with Cthugha or a major stellar convergence. Preserve the older page’s role as a CR 10 fifth-edition boss variant: increase size to Large, raise AC to 18, give it roughly 165–170 Hit Points, improve save DCs to 16–17, add Heat Mirage, stronger Soulfire Pulse, three Legendary Actions and lair effects where the region is saturated with stellar flame.
The Herald is a variant, not a fifth edition “edition tab.” Keeping it here prevents the creature’s progression from being confused with rules-system changes.
Using a Fire Vampire in an Encounter
The warm room. One chamber of an abandoned fortress is always warm, even in winter. The walls are intact because the predator does not use doors.
The failed summoning. A cult meant to call Cthugha and attracted only its lesser servants. They are now trapped inside the same building as the things they summoned.
The ash without fire. A corpse has been burned almost to nothing, yet the surrounding bed, curtains and floor remain largely untouched.
The stellar conjunction. Fire Vampires begin appearing days before an astronomical alignment, revealing where the larger manifestation will occur.
Related Creatures and Places
Fire Vampires are closely associated with Cthugha. Their manifestations may also touch the Elemental Plane of Fire and the Far Realm. Browse the Aberration Bestiary for other cosmic threats.
Source Tradition
Fire Vampires belong to the Cthugha cycle of Mythos fiction. The rules blocks on this page are game adaptations of that literary creature rather than reproductions of a single official multi-edition stat block.
Rules Sources and Licensing
The Pathfinder-style CR 6 block and Fire Vampire Herald were already present on the legacy page. They are retained as site compatibility material rather than represented as official Paizo statistics. The 5.5e/2024, 5e/2014 and D&D 3.5e versions are compatibility adaptations created for this entry.