I'm currently creating a sorcerer with a distant vampire relative which he draws his power from. My question is how should i go about creating this character alternative class features (homebrew allowed), feats (homebrew allowed), prestige classes (homebrew allowed), and spells (no homebrew spells, sorry to say).
this is my first serious role playing game, the rest were always powergame things with little or no roleplaying, and i would like to be able to have a flavorful character with mechanics to match.
I'm using a homebrew variant sorcerer that can specialize in a school of magic and gains bonus metamagic, reserve or heritage feats for this build:
starting at 4th level
Specializes in necromancy and prohibited abjuration and illusion (keeps both necromancy and enchantment spells high and a few evocations that can target multiple opponents [magic missile, scorching ray and the like])
No familiar, want a variant that replaces the familiar for something better.
Backstory: Corax Crow was an aspiring young sorcerer that has lead a different life from most sorcerers, he enrolled at an academy of magic where he picked up extra skills and learned to focus his magic.
He never once mentioned that his grandfather was a half-vampire and kept it a secret for many years, however, over time he started to show signs of his vampiric heritage and dropped out of the academy before he could be discovered, now he wanders the land expeimenting in the necromantic arts and researching for the day he returns to the academy, a vampire that has not embraced undeath...
Here are some homebrew feats i've already come up with.
Vampire Heritage [Vampire Heritage]
You draw your innate power from the unliving essence of a vampire.
Prerequisites: Sorcerer level 1st
Benefit: You can imbue your blood with arcane energy in order to heal your wounds. You can use a standard action to sacrifice a single spell slot to heal yourself by twice the level of the sacrificed spell slot. Additionally, you gain a bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks when dealing with vampires and humanoids equal to the number of Vampire Heritage feats you possess, including this one.
Blood Transfusion [Vampire Heritage]
You can imbue your own health into another living creature.
Prerequisites: Vampire Heritage
Benefits: By sacrificing your own health, you can heal a touched creature by an amount equal to half the damage you take with this feat. You cannot heal yourself with this feat. Using this ability is a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity.
Special: This feat only works on living, corporeal creatures.
Vampiric Spell [Vampire Heritage, Metamagic]
You imbue your spell with the power of a vampire allowing it to drain the vitality of the target.
Prerequisites: Vampire Heritage
Benefits: You can only apply this feat to damage dealing spells. A vampiric spell drains the blood of the target. The target takes Con damage based on the unmodified level of the spell. The target is allowed a Fort save (using the spell DC) to negate the ability damage. You gain 5 temporary hit points for each point of Con damage the target takes from the spell, these temporary hit points last for 1 minute. A vampiric spell takes up a spell slot 3 levels higher than normal. This feat does not affect the casting time of a spell, unlike most other metamagic feats.
0 - level: 1
1st - level: 1
2nd - level: 2
3rd - level: 2
4th - level: 3
5th - level: 3
6th - level: 4
7th - level: 4
8th - level: 5
9th - level: 5
Vampire Fangs [Vampire Heritage]
You can drink the blood of the living to bolster yourself.
Prerequisites: Vampire Heritage
Benefits: You grow a pair of short fangs, you can use these fangs to drink the blood of a pinned or helpless target. You can use a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity to bite your opponent, each round you drain blood, you deal 1d4+1 points of damage, you gain half of this damage (rounded up) as temporary hit points. You cannot take any other action while draining your opponent. Temporary hit points gained from this feat last for 1 minute. Temporary hit points granted by this feat stack with those granted by other vampire heritage feats.
Vampire Legacy [Vampire Heritage]
You gain great power from your vampiric ancestory.
Prerequisites: Any 4 Vampire Heritage feats
Benefits: You can use Charm Person at will as a spell-like ability.