D&D 5E Mythological Figures: Vlad the Impaler (5E)

D&D 5E – Mythological Figures: Vlad the Impaler (5E) | EN World | Dungeons & Dragons | Tabletop Roleplaying Games

Obviously, the real Vlad the Impaler was not a real vampire, and indeed, allusions to him being one didn’t really start until Bram Stoker sat down to write the dubiously long-winded Dracula. For anyone interested in his tumultuous history, Vlad spent most of his youth in captivity to the Ottoman Empire and if you were to build him from the ground up realistically, you’d probably be looking at a fighter/noble build. A less-than-cursory look at the real Vlad’s life can be found on Wikipedia.

Vlad the Impaler
Medium humanoid (human), occultist (vampire) 15 neutral evil
Armor Class 20 (+1 studded leather, natural armor, ring of protection)
Hit Points 127 (15d8+60)
Speed 50 ft., fly 40 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
11 (+0)	20 (+5)	18 (+4)	12 (+1)	10 (+0)	12 (+1)

Saving Throws Str +6, Dex +11, Con +10, Wis +6, Cha +7
Skills Athletics +5, History +6, Insight +5, Persuasion +6; ceremonial relics +6
Damage Vulnerabilities radiant (or 5 damage each round he is in sunlight; GM’s choice)
Damage Resistances piercing, slashing
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
Senses darkvision 60 ft. (sees through magical darkness), passive Perception 15
Languages Romanian, Turkish (Ottoman)
Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)

Background: Lordship. Due to his position as nobility, Vlad is treated with a measure of respect wherever he goes. He is treated as royalty (or as closely as possible) by most peasants and traders, and as an equal when meeting other authority figures (who make time in their schedule to see him if requested to do so).

Bloodsucker. Vlad can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. When using Dark Strike to deal necrotic damage to a living creature (not constructs or undead), he heals 2 (1d4) hit points.

Darkness Form (2/Short Rest). If he isn’t in sunlight or running water, Vlad can use an action to polymorph into a Tiny bat or a Medium cloud of mist. While in bat form, Vlad can’t speak, his walking speed is 5 feet, and he has a flying speed of 30 feet. His statistics, other than size and speed, are unchanged. Anything Vlad is wearing transforms with him, but nothing he is carrying does. While in mist form, Vlad can’t take any actions, speak, or manipulate objects. He is weightless, has a flying speed of 20 feet, can hover, and can enter a hostile creature’s space and stop there. In addition, if air can pass through a space, Vlad can do so without squeezing, and he can’t pass through water. He gains advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws, and he is immune to all nonmagical damage (except for sunlight which deals 10 radiant damage to him each turn). Vlad can stay in a darkness form for 7 hours. He then reverts to his normal form unless he expends another use of this feature. Vlad can revert to his normal form earlier by using a bonus action on his turn. He automatically reverts if he falls unconscious, drops to 0 hit points, or dies.
In addition, Vlad takes 20 acid damage when he ends his turn in running water.

Dark Strike. Vlad can use Dexterity or Strength for the attack and damage rolls of his unarmed strikes, and he can roll a d10 in place of the normal damage of his unarmed strike. When he uses the Attack action with an unarmed strike on his turn, he can choose to deal necrotic damage by spending a bonus action. He can use Constitution for the attack and damage rolls of his unarmed strike when dealing necrotic damage.

Devotee of Darkness. Vlad has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks and Wisdom (Perception) checks made in darkness or dim light.

Escaping Mist. When Vlad drops to 0 hit points outside of his resting place, he transforms into a cloud of mist (as in the Darkness Forms feature) instead of falling unconscious, provided that he isn’t in sunlight or running water. If Vlad can’t transform, he is destroyed. While he has 0 hit points in mist form, Vlad can’t revert to his normal form, and he must reach his resting place within 2 hours or be destroyed. Once in his resting place, Vlad reverts to his normal form. He is then paralyzed until he regains at least 1 hit point. After spending 1 hour in his resting place with 0 hit points, Vlad regains 1 hit point.
In addition, Vlad is damaged by holy water as if he were a fiend or undead.

Supernatural Save. Vlad is proficient with Strength, Dexterity, and Wisdom saving throws. He may change which type of saving throw he gains proficiency in by performing an hour long ritual that requires the use of ceremonial relics. At the end of the ritual he makes a DC 13 Charisma check and on a success, he may change one type of saving throw proficiency granted by this feature. On a failed check he cannot change the type of saving throw again for one week.

ACTIONS
Extra Attack. Vlad attacks three times, instead of once, whenever he takes the Attack action on his turn.

Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack:+10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d10+5) bludgeoning damage.

Dark Strike. Melee Weapon Attack:+9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d10+4) necrotic damage.

Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+5) piercing damage.

Charm (5/Long Rest). Vlad can target one humanoid he can see within 30 feet. If the target can see Vlad, the target must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or be charmed by him. The charmed target regards Vlad as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. Although the target isn’t under his control, it takes his requests or actions in the most favorable way it can, and it is a willing target for his Dark Strike attack. Each time Vlad or his companions do anything harmful to the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts 24 hours or until Vlad is destroyed, is on a different plane of existence than the target, or takes a bonus action to end the effect.

Children of the Night (1/Long Rest). Vlad magically calls 1d4 swarms of bats or rats, provided that the sun isn’t up. While outdoors, he can call 2d6 wolves instead. The called creatures arrive in 1d4 rounds, acting as Vlad’s allies and obeying his spoken commands. The beasts remain for 1 hour, until Vlad dies, or until he dismisses them as a bonus action.

D&D 5E Epic Monsters: Dracula (5E)

D&D 5E – Epic Monsters: Dracula (5E) | EN World | Dungeons & Dragons | Tabletop Roleplaying Games

Let’s be frank here: you can easily use a standard vampire for Dracula so that’s not what’s below. What follows is more of a pop culture pastiche of the Lord of the Night with a big dose of turbo for fielding against high-level parties of adventurers. This statblock is more appropriately thought of as a master vampire from the Underworld movies or Vampire Hunter D, or better yet the depiction given in Dracula Untold .

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Dracula
Medium undead (shapechanger), lawful evil

Armor Class 21 (natural armor)
Hit Points 437 (46d8+230)
Speed 45 ft., fly 60 ft.

STR​	DEX​	CON​	INT​	WIS​	CHA​
20 (+5)​	25 (+7)​	20 (+5)​	22 (+6)​	21 (+5)​	23 (+6)​

Saving Throws Dex +14, Int +13, Wis +12, Cha +13
Skills Arcana +13, Deception +13, Insight +12, Intimidate +13, Perception +12, Persuasion +13, Stealth +14
Damage Resistances cold, fire, necrotic, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 22
Languages Aklo, English, French, German, Romanian, Russian, Turkish; telepathy 200 ft.
Challenge 23 (50,000 XP)

Innate Spellcasting. Dracula’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 21, +13 to hit with spell attacks). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

• At Will: comprehend languages, fog cloud, mage hand, prestidigitation, ray of frost, sleep
• 5/day: animate dead, detect thoughts, fireball, gust of wind, mirror image, nondetection
• 3/day: blight, greater invisibility, polymorph
• 2/day: animate objects, scrying

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Dracula fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.

Life Stealer (5/Day). By spending an action and bonus action, Dracula breathes inward, sucking away the life force of creatures within 40 feet of him. Creatures in the area of effect must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution save or take 21 (6d6) necrotic damage; half of this damage is granted to Dracula as temporary hit points. A successful saving throw reduces the necrotic damage by half. Damage dealt this way cannot be healed with the use of magic and is only restored when a creature takes a short or long rest. Creatures reduced to 0 hit points from this trait die and rise the next evening as a vampire spawn under Dracula’s control.

Master of Undeath. Dracula can use a bonus action to impose his will on an undead creature he can see. The creature succeeds on a DC 21 Charisma saving throw or falls under Dracula’s control (as dominate monster but does not require Dracula’s concentration).

Misty Escape. When he drops to 0 hit points outside his resting place, Dracula transforms into a cloud of mist (as in the Shapechanger trait) instead of falling unconscious, provided that he isn’t in sunlight or running water. If Dracula can’t transform, he is destroyed.
While he has 0 hit points in mist form, Dracula can’t revert to his vampire form, and he must reach his resting place within 2 hours or be destroyed. Once in his resting place, he reverts to his vampire form. Dracula is then paralyzed until he regains at least 1 hit point. After spending 1 hour in his resting place with 0 hit points, Dracula regains 1 hit point.

Overshadow the Sun. By spending 10 minutes performing a secretive ritual, Dracula draws cataclysmic energies from the Shadow Plane to create darkness in a 1-mile radius for up to 5 hours. This effect is treated as a spell of 9th level.

Regeneration. Dracula regains 20 hit points at the start of his turn if he has at least 1 hit point and isn’t in sunlight or running water. If Dracula takes radiant damage or damage from holy water, this trait doesn’t function at the start of his next turn.

Shapechanger. If Dracula isn’t in sunlight or running water, he can use his action to polymorph into a Tiny bat or a Medium cloud of mist, or back into his true form.
While in bat form, Dracula can’t speak, his walking speed is 5 feet, and he has a flying speed of 30 feet. Dracula’s statistics, other than his size and speed, are unchanged. Anything he is wearing transforms with him, but nothing he is carrying does. Dracula reverts to his true form if he dies.
While in mist form, Dracula can’t take any actions, speak, or manipulate objects. He is weightless, has a flying speed of 20 feet, can hover, and can enter a hostile creature’s space and stop there. In addition, if air can pass through a space, the mist can do so without squeezing, and he can’t pass through water. Dracula has advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws, and he is immune to all nonmagical damage, except the damage he takes from sunlight.

Spider Climb. Dracula can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Unholy Strength. Dracula can enter a domicile uninvited when he succeeds on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw. In addition, for the first minute of being staked, at the end of each round he makes a DC 20 Constitution saving throw, ignoring paralysis from the stake on a success.

Vampire Weaknesses. Dracula has the following flaws:

• Forbiddance. Dracula can’t enter a residence without an invitation from one of the occupants.
• Harmed by Running Water. Dracula takes 10 acid damage if he ends his turn in running water.
• Stake to the Heart. If a piercing weapon made of wood is driven into Dracula’s heart while he is incapacitated in his resting place, he is paralyzed until the stake is removed.
• Sunlight Hypersensitivity. Dracula takes 10 radiant damage when he starts his turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, he has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.

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ACTIONS

Multiattack (Vampire Form Only). Dracula attacks once with his bite and three times with unarmed strikes.

Bite (Bat or Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature grappled by Dracula, incapacitated, or restrained. Hit: 13 (1d6+5) piercing damage plus 21 (6d6) necrotic damage. Necrotic damage dealt this way cannot be healed with the use of magic and is only restored when a creature takes a short or long rest, and Dracula regains hit points equal to the necrotic damage dealt. Creatures reduced to 0 hit points from this effect die and rise the next evening as a vampire spawn under Dracula’s control.

Unarmed Strike (Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10+5) bludgeoning damage. Dracula can choose to grapple the target (escape DC 20) instead of dealing damage.

Charm. Dracula targets one humanoid he can see within 30 feet. If the target can see Dracula, the target must succeed on a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or be charmed by him. The charmed target regards Dracula as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. Although the target isn’t under his control, it takes Dracula’s requests or actions in the most favorable way it can, and it is a willing target for his bite attack.
Each time Dracula or his companions do anything harmful to the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts 24 hours or until Dracula is destroyed, is on a different plane of existence than the target, or takes a bonus action to end the effect.

Children of Darkness (3/Day). Dracula summons 2d4 vampire spawn that appear after 1d4 rounds. These creatures disappear after 1 hour.

Children of the Night (3/Day). Dracula magically calls 2d4 swarms of bats or rats (swarm of bats, swarm of rats), provided that the sun isn’t up. While outdoors, he can call 3d6 wolves or 2d4 dire wolves instead. The called creatures arrive in 1d4 rounds, acting as allies of Dracula and obeying his spoken commands. The beasts remain for 1 hour, until Dracula dies, or until he dismisses them as a bonus action.

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LEGENDARY ACTIONS

Dracula can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. He regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.

• Move. Dracula moves up to his speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
• Unarmed Strike. Dracula makes one unarmed strike.
• Bite (Costs 2 Actions). Dracula makes one bite attack.

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REGIONAL EFFECTS

The areas around Dracula’s lair are corrupted by his primordial evil, generating one (or more) of these effects.

• Areas within 20 miles of Dracula’s lair are common with the whispers of spirits and the slinking of shadows, giving rise to tall tales of haunted manors, ghost ships, and unexplainable poltergeists.
• Fonts of blood appear in random locations throughout rivers and lakes in a 10-mile radius around Dracula’s lair.
• Illumination is subdued by the oppressive evil suffused in a 3-mile radius of Dracula’s lair, reducing the range of light sources by 5 feet (including torches, forever lanterns, the light cantrip, and similar effects).
• Maladies of the mind are more pervasive within 20 miles of Dracula’s lair, doubling the duration of all forms of madness.
• Wounds fester as the vile energy suffusing areas within 10 miles of Dracula’s lair, pulling at rent flesh, pressing on bruised muscles, and sucking at bleeding veins. When creatures within the area spend Hit Dice to heal, any dice that roll the highest possible number are treated as if a 1 was rolled instead (a barbarian spending Hit Dice treats a 12 as a 1, a fighter treats a 10 as a 1, and so on).

Dracula 3.5 Version

This tall, muscular man has pale white skin, hypnotically haunting red eyes, and bestial fangs and claws. He wears a high-collard cloak, dark boots, and wields a wickedly sharp silver longsword.

Originally Posted by Shade of the En World forums.

On this Thread

Dracula was once a powerful, evil fighter from a Material Plane world. Upon his death, he arose as a vampire, growing more powerful over time into a lord of undeath. Now he wanders the planes, furthering world-spanning evil agendas and associating with powerful spellcasters and fiends. He has known to be in contact with Orcus, the Prince of Undeath, but to what ends is yet to be determined.

Dracula is among the most powerful and long-lived of vampires. He generally surrounds himself with a retinue of enslaved vampires and dominated humanoids. His knowledge of planar politics and local nobility is impressive, and his ability to immediately infiltrate the rulership of kingdoms is well-known.

Dracula carries a wide variety of magic items, including a portable hole in which he stores his coffin. He always carries several does of dust of dryness to eliminate the threat of running water that is detrimental to vampires.

Dracula is 6 feet tall and weighs 200 pounds.

Dracula speaks Abyssal, Common, and Draconic.

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Dracula
Medium undead
Hit Dice	18d12+126 (243 hp)
Initiative	+11
Speed	30 ft. (6 squares), Fly 50 ft. (perfect)
Armor Class	34 (+7 Dexterity, +12 natural, +5 deflection*), touch 22, flat-footed 27
Base Attack/Grapple	+18/+32
Attack	+2 keen wounding silver speed longsword +32 melee (1d8+16/17-20 plus 1 Constitution) or slam +30* melee (1d6+7*)
Full Attack	+2 keen wounding silver speed longsword +32/+32/+27/+22/+17 melee (1d8+16/17-20 plus 1 Constitution) and slam +25* melee (1d6+7*)
Space/Reach	5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks	Blood drain, children of the night, control weather, create spawn, dominate, energy drain, rebuke undead (+7, 2d6+25, 18th)
Special Qualities	Alternate form, damage reduction 10/silver and magic, Darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 8, gaseous form, resistance to cold 10 and electricity 10, spider climb, telepathy, +8 turn resistance, undead traits, unholy toughness, vampire weaknesses
Saves	Fort +11*, Ref +20*, Will +23*
Abilities	Strength 31, Dexterity 25, Constitution -, Intelligence 21, Wisdom 21, Charisma 25
Skills	Bluff +36, Diplomacy +34, Disguise +7 (+9 acting), Hide +15, Intimidate +30, Knowledge (history) +20, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +14, Knowledge (the planes) +11, Listen +36, Move Silently +15, Ride (Dexterity)+19, Search +13, Sense Motive +34, Spot +36, Survival +7 (+9 on other planes), Use Magic Device +28
Feats	Alertness (B), Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes (B), Deflect Arrows, Dodge (B), Eyes in the Back of Your Head, Greater Weapon Focus (longsword), Greater Weapon Specialization (longsword), Improved Feint, Improved Grapple, Improved Initiative (B), Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike, Iron Will (B), Knock Down, lightning reflexes (B), Mobility, Spring Attack, Stunning Fist, Superior Expertise, Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword), Whirlwind Attack
Environment	Any land
Organization	Solitary, troupe (Dracula plus 3-6 enslaved vampires), or retinue (Dracula plus 3-6 enslaved vampires and 5-30 dominated humanoids)
Challenge Rating	22
Treasure	Quadruple standard (includes +5 cloak of resistance, +5 ring of protection,  ring of evasion, +2 amulet of mighty fists, boots of teleportation, glove of storing, darkskull, dust of dryness (x5), obsidian steed, portable hole)
Alignment	Chaotic evil
Advancement	–
Level Adjustment	–
*Adjusted by magic items.

Combat

Dracula was already an accomplished fighter before rising as a vampire. He combines his martial prowess with his enhanced vampire abilities to great effect, often tripping or knocking foes prone before grappling and the inevitable blood-draining bite. He employs a wicked longsword in battle, one magically-enhanced to draw maximum blood from those he strikes. Dracula is rarely encountered alone, using enslaved vampires and dominated humanoids as obstacles and sacrificial lambs.

Alternate Form (Su): Dracula can assume the shape of a bat, dire bat, wolf, or dire wolf as a standard action. While in his alternate form, Dracula loses his natural slam attack and dominate ability, but he gains the natural weapons and extraordinary special attacks of its new form. Dracula can remain in that form until he assumes another or until the next sunrise.

Blood Drain (Ex): Dracula can suck blood from a living victim with his fangs by making a successful grapple check. If Dracula pins the foe, he drains blood, dealing 1d4+2 points of Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained. On each such successful attack, Dracula gains 5 temporary hit points.

Children of the Night (Su): Dracula commands the lesser creatures of the world and once per day can call forth 1d6+1 rat swarms, 1d4+1 bat swarms, or a pack of 3d6 wolves as a standard action. These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve Dracula until released. Further, the Dracula can sense through the senses of any such commanded creatures, and communicate empathically with them, to a range of 10
miles.

Control weather (Sp): Dracula can cast either control weather or fog cloud as a 12th-level sorcerer at will.

Create Spawn (Su): A humanoid or monstrous humanoid slain by Dracula’s energy drain or reduced to Constitution to 0 or lower through blood drain rises as a vampire 1d4 days after burial. The new vampire is under the command of Dracula and remains enslaved until its master’s destruction. At any given time Dracula may have enslaved spawn totaling no more than twice his own Hit Dice (36); any spawn Dracula creates that would exceed this limit are created as free-willed vampires. A vampire that is enslaved may create and enslave spawn of its own, so Dracula can control a number of lesser vampires in this fashion. Dracula may voluntarily free an enslaved spawn in order to enslave a new spawn, but once freed, a vampire or vampire spawn cannot be enslaved again.

Dominate (Su): Dracula can crush an opponent’s will just by looking onto his or her eyes or simply by speaking. The former is similar to a gaze attack, except that Dracula must use a standard action, and those merely looking at him are not affected. The latter does not require line of sight to the target, but the target must be able to hear Dracula’s voice when he speaks at a normal volume level. Anyone Dracula targets must succeed on a DC 26 Will save or fall instantly under the Dracula’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.

Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by Dracula slam attack gain three negative levels. For each negative level bestowed, Dracula gains 5 temporary hit points. Dracula can use his energy drain ability once per round.

Fast Healing (Ex): Dracula heals 8 points of damage each round so long as he has at least 1 hit point. If reduced to 0 hit points in combat, Dracula automatically ssumes gaseous form and attempts to escape. He must reach his coffin home within 2 hours or be utterly destroyed. (Dracula can travel up to nine miles in 2 hours.) Any additional damage dealt to Dracula while forced into gaseous form has no effect. Once at rest in his coffin, Dracula is helpless. He regains 1 hit point after 1 hour, then is no longer helpless and resumes healing at the rate of 5 hit points per round.

Gaseous form (Su): As a standard action, Dracula can assume gaseous form at will as the spell (caster level 5th), but he can remain gaseous indefinitely and has a Fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability.

Master fighter: Dracula possesses all of the abilities of a 18th-level fighter, including a +18 base attack bonus, 10 fighter bonus feats. Dracula is treated as a 18th-level fighter for meeting prerequisites for feats and any other purposes.

Rebuke undead (Su): Dracula can rebuke and command undead as a 18th-level cleric. Dracula can make up to ten rebuke attempts per day.

Spider Climb (Ex): Dracula can Climb sheer surfaces as though with a Spider Climb spell.

Unholy Toughness (Ex): Dracula gains a bonus to his hit points equal to his Charisma modifier x his Hit Dice.

Telepathy (Su): Dracula can communicate telepathically with any living creature within 100 feet that has a language, and with any vampire under his direct control to a range of 1 mile.

Skills: Dracula has a +8 racial bonus on Bluff, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks.

Dracula’s Weaknesses

Like most vampires, Dracula has a number of weaknesses.

Repelling Dracula: Dracula cannot tolerate the strong odor of garlic and will not enter an area laced with it. Similarly, he recoils from a mirror or a strongly presented Holy symbol. These things don’t harm Dracula they merely keep him at bay. While recoiling, Dracula must stay at least 5 feet away from a creature holding the mirror or Holy symbol and cannot touch or make melee attacks against the creature holding the item for 2 rounds. Holding Dracula at bay takes a standard action.

Dracula is also unable to cross running water, although he can be carried over it while resting in his coffin or aboard a ship.

Dracula is utterly unable to enter a home or other building unless invited in by someone with the authority to do so. He may freely enter public places, since these are by definition open to all.

Slaying Dracula: Reducing Dracula’s hit points to 0 or lower incapacitates him but doesn’t always destroy him (see the note on fast healing). However, certain attacks can slay him.

Exposing Dracula to direct sunlight disorients him: He can take only a single move action or attack action and is destroyed utterly in the tenth round if he cannot escape. Similarly, immersing Dracula in running water robs him of one-tenth of his hit points each round until he is destroyed at the end of the tenth round of immersion.

Driving a wooden stake through Dracula’s heart instantly slays the monster. However, he returns to life if the stake is removed, unless his body is destroyed.

Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #126 (1987).