Vampire Muse: Inspirational Undead Fey
Table of Contents
- Overview
- Habitat & Lore
- Blood Cauldrons
- Vampire Muse Lairs
- Muse Patronage
- Vampire Muse Stat Block
- Traits
- Actions
- Bonus Actions
- Reactions
- Legendary Actions
- Notes
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Overview
Vampire muses are the result of a fey creature being raised in undeath as a vampire. They hail primarily from the Feywild and are renowned for their ability to inspire artists and performers to the absolute pinnacle of creativity, though often at the cost of their lives. Unlike more common vampiric creatures, a vampire muse feeds on the creative energy and life essence of a creature rather than its blood. This frequently causes brilliant artists to seemingly appear out of nowhere, gaining intense notoriety for their masterful work, only for them to be found dead, a dessicated husk, not long after. Those individuals, however, are the lucky ones. For some artists survive the vampire-inflicted loss of self long enough to leave behind a twisted mockery of who they were in life — now under the vampire's command
The actual appearance of the muse when in disguise is a humanoid form, often favoring the guise of an elf or eladrin. In this form, they possess such beauty that very few ever suspect they are face to face with an incredibly dangerous undead creature. The source of power for a vampire muse is its cauldron of blood. Each time the vampire takes on a new companion, it claims a single drop of blood from them to add to its cauldron. This simple ritual signifies the bond between the vampire and its chosen, causing the vampire’s gifts of inspiration to reach their full potential, and acting as an anchor to the living world for the vampire. Should the vampire ever be slain, so long as there is a single drop of blood in its cauldron, it will be reborn with a new body. The only way to truly destroy a vampire muse is to also destroy its blood cauldron.
HABITAT & ORIGIN
The vampire muse’s lairs are usually in sprawling woodland regions on the Material Plane, as well as places dominated by gloom and darkness in the Feywild or Shadowfell. Their actual lairs are typically fantastical, blending elements of fey beauty with undeath's corruption. They may inhabit a luxurious mansion overgrown with thorn vines, an expansive hedge-maze guarded by lesser undead, or another macabre but enchanting locale. The region containing a vampire muse’s lair is altered by its presence, creating several notable effects:
- Children of the Forest. The vampire exerts influence over plant life in its domain. From dusk until dawn, Plant creatures have the Charmed condition while within 1 mile of the lair. During this time, mundane shrubs and other plants rise as Blights in order to serve the vampire as minions.
- Inspiring Energy. Creatures who sleep within 1 mile of the vampire’s lair have vivid dreams of wonderful songs, beautiful works of art, and myriad images of their most creative interests. However, upon waking such dreams are half remembered and leave the dreamer with a sense of yearning.
- Mists. The area within 1 mile of the lair is Lightly Obscured by a persistent, creeping fog. The vampire and any creatures of its choice are unaffected by the fog.
If the vampire dies or moves its lair elsewhere, these effects end immediately.
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Blood Cauldrons
The source of power for a vampire muse is its cauldron of blood. Each time the vampire takes on a new companion, it claims a single drop of blood from them to add to its cauldron. This simple ritual signifies the bond between the vampire and its chosen, causing the vampire’s gifts of inspiration to reach their full potential, and acting as an anchor to the living world for the vampire. Should the vampire ever be slain, so long as there is a single drop of blood in its cauldron, it will be reborn with a new body. The only way to truly destroy a vampire muse is to also destroy its blood cauldron.
The actual appearance of the cauldron may vary. For relatively young vampires, the cauldron may be a small jar or bottle, while for truly ancient beings the cauldron might be a massive iron vessel, or even a large pool, filled to the brim with the roiling blood of countless companions past.
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Vampire Muse Lairs
Vampire muses make their homes in sprawling woodland regions on the Material Plane, as well as places dominated by gloom and darkness in the Feywild or Shadowfell. Their actual lairs are usually somewhat fantastical in nature, blending elements of fey beauty with the corruption of undeath. They may live in a luxurious mansion which is overgrown with thorn vines, an expansive hedge-maze guarded by lesser undead, or some other equally macabre but enchanting locale.
The region containing a vampire muse’s lair is altered by its presence, creating the following effects;
- Children of the Forest. The vampire exerts influence over plant life in its domain. From dusk until dawn, Plant creatures have the Charmed condition while within 1 mile of the lair. During this time, mundane shrubs and other plants rise as Blights in order to serve the vampire as minions.
- Inspiring Energy. Creatures who sleep within 1 mile of the vampire’s lair have vivid dreams of wonderful songs, beautiful works of art, and myriad images of their most creative interests. However, upon waking such dreams are half remembered and leave the dreamer with a sense of yearning.
- Mists. The area within 1 mile of the lair is Lightly Obscured by a persistent, creeping fog. The vampire and any creatures of its choice are unaffected by the fog.
If the vampire dies or moves its lair elsewhere, these effects end immediately.
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Muse Patronage
1d6 The vampire muse favors to feed on…
1 Struggling painters, pushing them to paint more macabre
scenes with every piece.
2 Morose musicians, whom they help create the most
compelling songs of lament and sorrow.
3 Gifted sculptors, compelling them to create countless
works in their image.
4 Competitive dancers, filling them with the drive and skill
required to crush the competition.
5 Skilled orators, to whom they impart legendary tales from planes beyond to fuel their story telling.
6 Creatively inclined outcasts, who the vampire doesn’t kill,
but feeds on with their consent, forming a collective of
loyal followers in the process.
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Vampire Muse Stat Block
Medium Undead (Fey), Neutral Evil
AC 16 Initiative +9 (19)
Hit Points 195 (23d8 + 92)
Speed 35 ft.
MOD SAVE MOD SAVE MOD SAVE
STR 16 +3 +3 DEX 19 +4 +9 CON 18 +4 +4
INT 17 +3 +3 WIS 16 +3 +8 CHA 22 +6 +11
Skills Deception +16, Insight +8, Performance +11, Perception +8, Persuasion +16, Stealth +9
Immunities Poison; Charmed, Poisoned
Resistances Necrotic
Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Truesight 10 ft., Passive Perception 18
Languages Elvish, Sylvan plus two other languages
Challenge 14 (XP 11,500, or 13,000 in lair; PB +5)
Traits
Legendary Resistance (3/Day, or 4/Day in Lair). If the vampire fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. The vampire has Advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Rebirth by Blood. If destroyed, the vampire reforms in 1d12 days if it has a blood cauldron, reviving with all its Hit Points. The new body appears in an unoccupied space within the vampire’s lair.
Vampire Weakness. The vampire has these weaknesses:
- Reciprocal Forbiddance. The vampire can’t enter a residence without an invitation from an occupant unless the vampire leaves behind a gift for the occupant.
- Sunlight. The vampire takes 20 Radiant damage if it starts its turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, it has Disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
Actions
Multiattack. The vampire makes two Muse’s Touch attacks. It can replace one attack with a use of Spellcasting to cast Crown of Madness.
Muse’s Touch. Melee Attack Roll: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) Psychic damage and the target has Disadvantage on the next Wisdom Saving Throw they make for 1 minute.
Dominate (Recharge 5-6). The vampire casts Dominate Monster, requiring no spell components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 19), and the duration is 24 hours. The vampire can only dominate one target at a time with this ability.
Well of Inspiration. One willing creature the vampire is touching gains the following traits for the next 24 hours;
- Skilled. You have proficiency and expertise in the Performance skill, and any Performance skill checks you make are rolled with Advantage.
- Inspired. You gain proficiency in one type of artisan’s tools. Anytime you use artisan’s tools to craft an object, it takes half the amount of time, costs you half the amount of gold and resources, and the final product is always of masterwork quality causing it to be worth double its normal value.
- Extracted Talent. Every day at dawn, unless the vampire has chosen not to feed, choose either Charisma or Wisdom, then reduce the chosen ability score by 1d4 permanently. When either score is reduced to 0, Constitution Saving Throw: DC 17. Failure: You Die. Success: You are permanently under the vampire’s control. If your Wisdom is reduced to 0, you go mad, transforming into a Vampire Spawn (MM pg. 315). If your Charisma is reduced to 0, you lose all sense of self, transforming into a Lemure (MM pg. 194) with the Fey type instead of Fiend.
Spellcasting. The vampire’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 19, +11 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
• At will: Charm Person, Disguise Self, Enhance Ability, Faerie Fire, Message, Minor Illusion, Misty Step, Sleep, Speak With Dead
• 3/Day Each: Blink, Blur, Calm Emotions, Crown of Madness, Phantasmal Force
• 1/Day Each: Blight, Horrid Wilting, Mirror Image, Regal Presence, Seeming, Tongues
Bonus Actions
Song of Lovers Parted. Charisma Saving Throw: DC 19, each creature of the vampire’s choosing who can hear in a 30-foot Emanation. Failure: The creature takes a Reaction to move half their speed away from the vampire, and is Frightened of the vampire until the end of the vampire’s next turn. Success: The creature is immune to the vampire’s Song of Lovers Parted for 24-hours.
Reactions
Inspire. Trigger: A creature within 60 feet of the vampire that it can see fails a D20 Test.
Response: The target may attempt the D20 test again, but must use the new result.
Misty Escape. Trigger: The vampire takes damage. Response: The vampire uses Spellcasting to cast Misty Step and has the invisible condition until the start of its next turn.
Legendary Actions
Legendary Action Uses: 3 (4 in Lair). Immediately after another creature’s turn, the vampire can expend a use to take one of the following actions. The vampire regains all expended uses at the start of each of its turns.
Beauty Incarnate. The vampire uses Spellcasing to cast Regal Presence, if able.
Beguile. The vampire casts Command, requiring no spell components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 19). The vampire can’t take this action again until the start of its next turn.
Violent Musings. The vampire moves up to half its Speed, and it makes one Muse’s Touch attack.
Created by: JOSIAH “DUNGEON DAD” AMBROSE
Art by: Dakota Curry
The Monstrous YouTube Video This Came From: The Deadliest Vampire in D&D (Was Completely Forgotten)
Created in compliance with the Dungeons & Dragons SRD 5.1
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