Whats the point of playing a Dhampir?

[Stechhelm]

Its annoying. I expected Jahethal abilitys but got a castrated version of an undead with only the disadvatages and almost no benefits at all.

[Kurosu]

Role play I guess. Lich and Swarm paths make a lot of sense as Dhampir.

[Nito]

playing as one and it should be mostly immunity to necromancy skills resistance to level drain(that is easily one of the most annoying negative status but you can completely deny with death ward), undead resistances.....

Fast healing is also nice on them

[Naked Granny]

Jaethal is an undead creature.

Dhampirs are not undead. They are living, mortal beings who simply have an affinity for necrotic energies because of their lineage.

[Naked Granny]

Originally posted by Nito:

playing as one and it should be mostly immunity to necromancy skills resistance to level drain(that is easily one of the most annoying negative status but you can completely deny with death ward), undead resistances.....

Fast healing is also nice on them

Dhampirs are not immune to level drain.

They are merely able to ignore the *penalties* that being level drained normally applies. They still die if they accumulate negative levels equal to or exceeding their HD.

[Brian Sirith]

For me just roleplay. Holier than thou Hell Knight Iomedaen Angel... Dhampir. With a bone to pick with Vampires.

Mechanically tbh the only advantage I've seen is that I don't get affected by negative energy in the front line. I'm tempted to say that it doesn't make up for my inability to heal. And since I do roleplay I have skipped feats that would mitigate the downsides.

[Naked Granny]

Originally posted by Brian Sirith:

For me just roleplay. Holier than thou Hell Knight Iomedaen Angel... Dhampir. With a bone to pick with Vampires.

So.... Vampire Hunter D.

[wildhazz]

Cause im going lich path

[Brian Sirith]

Originally posted by Aunt Tony:

Originally posted by Brian Sirith:

For me just roleplay. Holier than thou Hell Knight Iomedaen Angel... Dhampir. With a bone to pick with Vampires.

So.... Vampire Hunter D.

Copper. Not Vampire exclusive. Like Vimes from Discworld. :P

'Vimes was a policeman. No one lived a completely blameless life. It might be just possible, by lying very still in a cellar somewhere, to get through a day without committing a crime. But only just. And, even then, you were probably guilty of loitering.'

[Quacksalber]

Yeah it's pretty useless. I ´thought I'd be immune to level drain, but nope. If you go Azata you get some kind of fast healing passive, which makes it a lot more bearable.

[thrythlind]

Mostly roleplay, it gives some resistance to some of the more annoying aspects of 3.X mechanics (energy drain) though not immunity as people have said.

I'm playing a Crusader(Shelyn)/Fighter and looking to go Legend though might go Azata and just holding a bunch of inflict scrolls.

[Hideka Valheim]

There is no point in playing Dhampir other than roleplay. they are probably the worst race in the entire game, despite the fact that they should be one of the far better races. Nothing they have actually does anything for them.

Their one racial specialty class, cruoromancer is so far beyond bad, that its pathetic. Its like a half baked idea that they gave up on. Its literally worse than every other wizard archetype at being a necromancer. Its so bad that Sorcerers make better necromancers. MAGI EVEN MAKE BETTER NECROMANCERS. ***CLERICS EVEN MAKE BETTER NECROMANCERS***

Biggest problems

1. Commanding infusion Functions IDENTICAL to Augmented Summons, but doesnt stack, and doesnt qualify for Superior Summons. Until you're full swing On litch, your summons wont be worth ♥♥♥♥ all.
2. Focused Infusion Blows ass. +1 Caster DC, for anywhere from 1/2 to 1/10th your life per cast is absurd. This should be changed to +1 Caster DC for ALL Spells for 10 Minutes/Level for Level x 2~4 Life as a one time cost.
3. Sickening Infusion is even worse as 90% of the things in this game are immune to sickening anyways.
4. None of your clerics, or available party members that can effectively multi class into cleric, are 'evil' alignment, making it impossible for them to effectively support you, and forcing you to waste a feat so that channeling doesnt kill you.

Changes i'd make.

1. Add a Racial - Deathborne: +1 to Caster level and DC for Necromancy spells OR Hypnotic: Add +1DC and Caster Level to all Enchantment spells
2. Cruormancer - Change DC increase on focused infusion from +1 per spell, to +1 for all spells for x minutes per level.
3. Cruormancer - Commanding Infusion: Have the Feature ALSO include Superior Summoning Feat effects at level 8, and allow both to stack with the Acutal feats for Augmented/Superior Summons.
5. Add Cruormancer 'unique' spells, at level 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, and 20 that fall in line with the abilities a greater vampire would have at those levels (Bat/rat/wolf summons, Gaseous form, Swarm form, Dominate, Change shape, etc), and give them "Vampire Slots" within their spell book for setting these, similar to how favorite school slots operate.

[Hideka Valheim]

Originally posted by wildhazz:

Cause im going lich path

Elf, or Half elf make superior Liches with the elven magic racial.

[thrythlind]

Pathfinder 1e is this interesting point in D&D history after "Let's create stats to accommodate a lot of the edge case characters people have been asking about" but before "let's make sure those mechanics are actually fun to play and not just a 'it looked good on paper' situation."

Healing hurting them? Yeah, they're part-undead that makes sense from a narrative point of view. Actual gameplay you've given yourself and your group a headache dealing with it. As this is a single-player CRPG and you're only giving yourself a headache... that's fine if you see it coming.

There's also this weird thing in Pathfinder where it seems "if these are a player option then they must be common in the world" I kind of gawp at the near crowds of aasimar that exist in Mendev... when I asked "Where are they getting all these aasimar?" my friend answered "The crusaders deal with a lot of celestials" only she used different words than "deal with".

In general I feel that the following:

-mechanics that are not fun to play are going to undermine the narrative worse than compromising

-PCs are always edge cases even if they're stock-standard normal humans, elves, dwarves, or halflings... you don't need a society of aasimar to justify aasimar PCs... it's permissable for character options to be very rare in the world.

-it's possible to hit narrative theme without being overpowered

-players shouldn't be punished for wanting to do X concept in and of itself. it is certainly possible for a player to take a concept specifically to offend or annoy others at the table and that's being a jerk.... but just "I want to be a heroic vampire" shouldn't be something you get punished for.

[Midnight]

Yeah they're mostly for roleplay reasons.

The one decent thing they get is the Blood Drinker feat that gives +5 temporary hitpoints per 3 levels.

I take that on Dhampir casters as an alternative to upping CON or taking Toughness. It also helps if you dumped CON in favor of CHA because you plan on going Lich so you're not as squishy early game.

[Stechhelm]

Originally posted by thrythlind:

but just "I want to be a heroic vampire" shouldn't be something you get punished for.

Zepesch approves ^^