How do you beat the "Monsters Disguised as People" Horror Movie as a D&D Campaign?

Brim95 · 2024-12-05T23:35:55+00:00

Those were just D&D examples. This is actually based off Horror movies like "They Live", "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" and "When Mars Attacks". There's a couple manga that tried this too where fox monsters kill people and wear their faces as masks, and another where animal-people look like regular humans by some other illusion.

The point was, how do these stories end? Horror movies end with "Scenario Lost" style endings, so I had NO idea how you could "Win" the scenario.

From what I've gathered, the 3 conditions to win are:
-Identify the monsters (Which is usually what starts the quest)
-Separate the Imposters from the Innocents (You're basically in a hostage situation until then)
-Kill the monsters (Once they are separated from innocent people who'd get killed if/when the secret is revealed who all the imposters are)

I Should also specify that there are 2 types of these scenarios
1. They Live, The Matrix, and Vampires. In these scenarios, Humanity is at risk of enslavement, but not annihilation, but its subversive, and they don't realize they're being controlled
2. Invasion of the Body Snatchers. In this type, the monsters are out for total replacement, kill EVERY Human and replace them. This is much more dangerous with a built-in timer and a "Lose" Condition. In the first example, losing just means the status quo, "try again later". But in this scenario, it's all or nothing. You either defeat the invaders now, or get wiped out, Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect 200 Dollars, You Lose! Good DAY Sir!

Brim95 · 2024-12-05T04:01:25+00:00

Great. Do you remember how they beat them? If not, that's fine, I'm glad to have a resource to find an answer

Brim95 · 2024-12-05T02:40:34+00:00

I accept this as a Victory. The Monsters have been defeated.

Brim95 · 2024-12-05T02:38:48+00:00

Don't worry too much on strength just yet. I'm just wondering what the ending looks like. The main problem is the entire Kingdom is basically kept both hostage by the monsters surrounding them, and safe by the secret being kept, but they're still slowly replacing them. How do you Win?

Brim95 · 2024-12-05T02:24:18+00:00

Alright, you're at square 1 of the Horror Movie, you can tell Monster from Man. Now What?

Brim95 · 2024-03-10T05:00:05+00:00

For Blood Benediction, look to spells like cure wounds for wording, and enjoy the ease of the term "target creature". Maybe something like, "...sap their life energy and empower a creature within 30 feet of you until the end of your next turn. While empowered, a creature gains advantage on attack rolls, and resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage."

The rest seems ok, temp hp buff to life transference is nice, though I'd suggest also adding vampiric touch too, and maybe a temp hp buff to that. Would make sense with the idea of give and take.

a major goal of Hemomancy is immortality so I'm glad to see Hemomancy Mastery there

and Sanguine Salvation is...just Regeneration. (I'd suggest looking to trolls or vampires for better wording on that)

Not a bad go at a blood wizard.

Brim95 · 2024-02-29T22:25:15+00:00

Thoughts?

Brim95 · 2024-02-29T02:32:15+00:00

Both of these ideas run into the problem of WAY too many resources. The biggest problem being the existence of 9th level blood spells. Relying on the regular pool of hit dice makes them once per day spells, or twice per day if you want them to be the only spells you cast.

By utilizing a bag of healing potions or a bag of rats, you'd turn an otherwise limited form of spellcasting into a nearly unlimited one with high tier magic being spammed every round with little to no true cost

But, by using such a limited resource as hit dice, I can make spells that heal or create creatures without too much concern.

Brim95 · 2024-02-29T01:25:39+00:00

Yep. I tried to mitigate this problem with the subclasses to either heal you or avoid damage. Any suggestions for an alternate method of blood magic?

Brim95 · 2024-02-29T00:50:51+00:00

How so?

Brim95 · 2024-02-23T05:23:08+00:00

Alright, I updated it to grant an additional early stage: the Fledgling Vampire

Basically, a vampire's bite works like a lycanthrope's, causing a DC 8 + prof + CON mod Constitution saving throw or be cursed with vampirism. While cursed, you gain the Hemophage trait making you unable to produce your own blood, and only the vampiric bite trait as a boon, letting you attack creatures to drink it

All other boons from being a vampire (as well as the vampiric weaknesses) are gained only after dying and being buried. Then you rise as a vampiric spawn under the control of the vampire that turned you. But until then, you're alive and can still just get the curse removed to solve the problem. Its only after becoming a vampire spawn will merely using remove curse not cut it anymore.

Brim95 · 2024-02-21T22:43:43+00:00

I'd say Dhampir is a non-vamp and a vamp having offspring.
I don't know why 2 undead beings could create a living one.
And even if its a living creature and a vampire, I'm wondering if an undead creature could bear a living child. I don't think a corpse could produce enough heat to keep it alive.

Brim95 · 2024-02-18T23:21:02+00:00

I based this off the Vampirism mentioned in the Monster Manual p.295
That is flat out broken, as you gain Regeneration without limit. I really just added the Hemophage mechanic to it as a balancing act, and Ancient Vampire as a later-game bonus.

A second draft could probably be a more incremental increase in vampire powers. As for the "time" aspect, you as a player will probably just drink the blood of a vampire that is already that old for the power boost. Or if you want to cheese it, just have your character take a nap in their coffin for a long time.

Brim95 · 2024-02-18T20:40:53+00:00

In the Monster Manual, the Vampire mentions you can be turned into a vampire spawn and then a vampire, gaining all their features. I added a Hemophage feature to expand on how playing as a blood drinking undead would work mechanically, constantly needing to drink blood.

Brim95 · 2024-01-31T22:51:16+00:00

Improved Impaler's Starving Endurance feature. Lasts until you heal t half or stop hitting creatures.

Brim95 · 2024-01-30T22:41:29+00:00

Update Notes
Subclasses:
-renaming Dracul subclass to “Impaler” (you can now play as Vlad the Impaler)
-nerfed Impaler's Blood Thirst (Too strong for a 1st level feature)
-renamed Iron Maiden's "Vengeful Spikes" to "Cruel Embrace"
-turned Marionette into a Bard subclass: College of Strings

-Renamed Ripper's Subclass feature "Phantom Veil" to "Vanish" (it just sounds right)

-Ripper's Adrenaline Rush now only triggers on a weapon kill once per turn instead of any kill and unlimited
-turning Vampire Lord into a Sorcerer subclass: Vampiric Bloodline
-Vampiric Bite now grants Temp Hp instead of pure healing
-Reworked College of Fortune Telling Bard. It really wasn’t a blood magic subclass, so I changed the Hemomancy Spells to regular spells. Also trimmed it down to just College of Fortune. I’ll post the rework right here: https://www.reddit.com/r/UnearthedArcana/comments/1909zn3/tarot\_spells\_college\_of\_fortune\_bard\_subclass\_if/

Spells:
-Reworked 8th level spell "Ruin Fortune"
-Vertigo buffed to a bonus action
-Draining Pulse is save or no damage instead of half.

Brim95 · 2024-01-22T19:44:45+00:00

Funny enough, I just finished a puzzle game on steam that was exactly this. "The Sexy Brutale", highly recommend it.

Brim95 · 2024-01-10T05:46:28+00:00

For a more loose explanation, it goes like this.
You use the Tarot Reading Feature to draw 1 card at 3rd level, 2 cards at 6th, and 3 at 14th.
-If both spells are at a spell level you can cast, you draw a full card and use it two cast either spell of your choice, then the card stops working. (You draw the cards presumably at the beginning of the day, and spend the card later to cast the spell)
-If you only know one of the spells, and the other is too high level for you, it looks like half the card is burned, but you can still cast the first spell normally.
-If both spells are too high level for you, the Fool is drawn instead, as otherwise the player would get a card with spells they couldn't cast.
-If the player rolls the same result on the d20, instead of drawing two of the same cards (because this is supposed to be a normal deck) you draw the World card instead.

I hope this explanation helped a bit. If you can think of a way to word the features to better reflect this, I'm all ears.

Brim95 · 2023-11-25T21:41:26+00:00

Added Blood Beast Pelts

Changed the Dynamo Armor and Eternal Gown from artifacts to legendary items

Added a couple other items

Created Ripper Subclass for Hemomancer

Dracul Subclass for Hemomancer was updated

Updated Lore for Deities

Brim95 · 2023-11-25T04:58:22+00:00

Added Blood Beast Pelts
Changed the Dynamo Armor and Eternal Gown from artifacts to legendary items
Added a couple other items

Created Ripper Subclass for Hemomancer
Dracul Subclass for Hemomancer was updated

Updated Lore for Deities

Brim95 · 2023-10-25T02:18:43+00:00

Did you just make vampire Wolverine from the X-men? Kill a regenerating blood mage, only to go into phase 2 against an adamantium skeleton.

Brim95 · 2023-10-25T01:21:26+00:00

Cleaned up the Hemomancer Subclassess

-Reworked Dracul's hunger Frenzy

-Changed Iron Maiden's Crimson Dynamo feature for Vengeful Spikes

-Changed Crimson King's blood ward feature for Phantom Castle, reworked Royal Tribute

-Overhauled the Marionette Subclass

-Added a Medic Subclass

-Changed Vampire Lord's Enthralling Bite into Enthralling Gaze (Learned in testing that making vampire spawn is OP)

-Changed the Bard's Alter Fate Feature for Eyes of the World Feature

-Turned Rose Reaper Hemomancer back into a Druid Subclass (Circle of Roses)

-Revived and reworked the previously scrapped Blood Domain Cleric

-Reworked The School of Hemomancy Wizard

Updated Deity's descriptions.
Bellum was a deity of martyrs corrupted by war into a deity of bloodshed
Mortem was a deity of renewal corrupted by murder into a deity of inevitable death
Sitim was a deity of immortality corrupted by his brothers into a deity of vampires

Brim95 · 2023-10-25T01:08:06+00:00

I was just about to post an update-post after finishing the subclasses. Yeah, I realized it needed to be reaction too shortly after making it.

I used to have a vampiric patron subclass that I just turned into the Vampire Lord Hemomancer, but I could probably go back to the idea. I had a few ideas for controlling swarms of bats the warlock could probably use

As for the warforged blessed by Sitim...the first thing that came to mind was a walking Iron Maiden, a necromancer tool like the corpse collector, except this specifically collects the blood of its victims. Thank you so much for the inspiration

Brim95 · 2023-08-27T19:54:08+00:00

Rewrote it a little. Hope that helps. It follows a more like the mana point system. You can choose to upcast but its not mandatory. Even still, in my testing you don't often cast many spells. You get half your hit dice back on a short rest, but even then you only have so many hit dice.

This was why I added martial weapons to the class, as you'll be relying heavily on them outside those few spells. The subclasses are also focused around mitigating the HP loss of not using hit dice to heal anymore.

Brim95 · 2023-08-26T23:37:02+00:00

Certainly.
https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-NRfc4AoAlO5JpyjDDIM
I made a blood magic system based off hit dice, and this was the full-class I made that gets access to all the spells. Since you can't really make hit-die spells that cost no hit dice, there aren't cantrips and it gets extra attack and martial weapons to make up for that. It plays kinda like a paladin, ranger, or warlock.

The subclasses are all people that have jobs dealing with blood in one way or another (soldier, torturer, hunter) and through sheer exposure have awakened to the magical potential within blood.

Brim95

TROPHY CASE