Dhampyr Bhaalspawn? Feasible?

Achterklad

Taken from the Forgotten Realms Wiki article about dhampyrs: Dhampyrs, also known as "daywalkers," are living creatures who have inherited some of the tainted blood of vampires. Some are the descendants of male vampires and mortal females, but many others have dhampyrs for parents and some result from a vampire of either sex biting a pregnant female. A dhampyr's powers may lie dormant for years before being quickened; dhampyrs may also have children who are normal in every respect. Possessing some of the strengths of vampires and none of their traditional weaknesses, dhampyrs are simultaneously valued and discriminated against by both sides of their heritage.

Another article about vampires: In some rare circumstances, a vampire consumes enough blood to be mistaken for a human. Then in even rarer cases, they breed with a humanoid or monstrous humanoid, creating a Half-Vampire. This unholy creation also occurs when a pregnant mother survives a vampires blood drain attack and the child is tainted in the result.

Could it have been possible for Bhaal to assume the form of a vampire and create dhampyr offspring?

http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Dhampyr

http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Vampire

Abi_Dalzim

I suppose, but I fail to see why. It'd be more likely that he'd become a dhampyr to mate with another dhampyr and get the same results.

Lord_Tansheron

It's also entirely possible that the mother pregnant with Bhaal's child was later simply attacked by a vampire before giving birth - meaning Bhaal had no hand in it, but the result is of course the same.

Daevelon

It reminds me something...
A Bhaalspawn like this?

Sertorius

The concept of a dhampyr does not really do anything for me and like @Daevelon said, it reminds me uncomfortably of Blade... but sure, if you feel like modding something like that, why not.

Bhaal seemed to get around a lot so to speak, considering some of his more exotic offspring like Abazigal, Yaga-Shura or even a certain group residing the Marching Mountains... so I guess a dhampyr would not be completely out of the question.

Abi_Dalzim

Honestly, I wish the Five had been a lot more eclectic than they were. You could have replaced Illasera, Sendai and Balthazar with much more colorful beings to make things more interesting. So maybe a dhampyr, a nymph, and a medusa. Or something like that.

Lord_Tansheron

I don't think it's a coincidence they are what they are - members of powerful, established races. You need a place in the world to get that far, and being a nymph or a medusa isn't exactly helping that all that much...

As for the dhampyr thing, it makes just as much sense as a dragon Bhaalspawn. Any number of ways it could have come about, and no logical reason against any of them.

Abi_Dalzim

Well, considering you can easily ascend to godhood as a halfling or a gnome, I fail to see why any other race couldn't, and nymphs and medusae are objectively more powerful, what with their gaze attacks and other assorted abilities. More to the point, it would make TOB less repetitious of stuff from SOA. Sendai especially has nothing to offer other than rehashing Underdark beasties you probably got sick of the first time you fought them.

Halfwise

I guess perception is something to consider.
As any "average" race, you have tainted blood, you grow up, learn about your heritage, it becomes a scandal, etc.
But as a monster bhaalspawn, it seem like you are just another "Boss" monster on some adventurers hit list.

Totally role-playable of course, but it would not be easy to squeeze into a "Default" story line. it would be a very unique experience.
Dhampyrs might be easier, basically acting like a drow might in the surface world.
Nymphs would need to mitigate the magical infatuation they create among mortals.
Medusa would need to hide their most monstrous features, and never look anybody in the eye. Ever.
But essentially, they would all need to hide the fact they are part monster, lest they have a mob hunting them wherever they go.

Achterklad

Abi_Dalzim said:

I suppose, but I fail to see why. It'd be more likely that he'd become a dhampyr to mate with another dhampyr and get the same results.

While dhampyr-on-dhampyr action can result in a bona fide dhampyr, there's still apparently the possibility of the potential offspring to be born fully human (but still with the dhampyr "gene", which they can pass on), whereas "Twilight babies" are guaranteed dhampyrs. Still, I agree with you and @Lord_Tansheron: dhampyr offspring can occur for different reasons, some emulating Blade more than others.

Sertorius said:

The concept of a dhampyr does not really do anything for me and like @Daevelon said, it reminds me uncomfortably of Blade... but sure, if you feel like modding something like that, why not.

Nothing a bit of of EE Keeper couldn't handle. I could literally just play a human with a few minor vampire-like bonuses and penalties, unless changing the race to 'vampire' (for aesthetic purposes) doesn't break the game?

Halfwise said:

But essentially, they would all need to hide the fact they are part monster, lest they have a mob hunting them wherever they go.

This is what makes dhampyrs an interesting race: not feeding makes them appear more human (and also renders them mortal), whereas drinking blood makes them more vampire-like in appearance and abilities (and practically immortal, if they feed regularly). They literally have an 'on-off' switch, which even comes with a dimmer! So, the perceived "monster-ness" between dhampyrs will likely vary, depending on their diet. Some might be able to hide their monstrous side more easily than others.

Nothing_to_see_here

Dhampyr is (sort of) a half breed, is that something that Bhaal have shown any interrest in? I know that the player could be a couple of different sorts but how is it with the rest of the bhaalspawns? Are any of those any type of half breeds?

If not, you could actually argue that the half orc and half elven shouldn't be possible player races either..

Achterklad

Abazigal is apparently only half-dragon, so it's safe to say that Bhaal might've had at least a little bit of interest in half-breeds. Or maybe he just wanted to boast to his mates down the pub about how he once shagged a dragon.

lunar

Vampire is an undead thing. Not living. Not able to have children. Counter-productive to the whole 'create an offspring' scheme of Bhaal, a dhampyr is a very very rare occurence (if at all possible in dnd) and an exception rather than the rule. Thus I don't see Bhaal becoming a vampire and trying to create a damphyr Bhaalspawn.

If Bhaal becomes a vampire and bites a pregnant female, the child won't be a Bhaalspawn at all, it will still have the genetic imprint of his original father. IF, however, a mother is bit by a generic vampire, while pregnant with a legitimate Bhaalspawn, it may be possible, but I seriously doubt the chance of this happening. And I refuse to believe a vampire can have an off-spring-a child if mating with a living creature, no matter how well fed-a vampire is still a dead thing, unable to produce a spark of life. Vampires can not produce life, they can only drain it to sustain their masquerade of life. They can have sex, I suppose, it is their whole gimmick of being 'almost' human-passionate and sexy even-but not really, it is just a mimickry of the living.

Kamigoroshi

While strictly speaking not official D&D rules, the Dragon magazine #313 introduced a bunch of half-undead templates. Amongst them are half-vampires known as Katane that could sire offsprings.

The most interesting thing however about this issue are the Deathtouched. A race similar to planetouched, only with undead progenitors.

According to the article, a deathtouched child may arrise from victims of a bungled resurrection spell, half-vampire parents, or if an unborn child is infused with small amount of negative energy for a long period of time. They got even so popular that Pathfinder included the Deathtouched as a bloodline within their Ultimate Campaign hardcover book.

Achterklad

@Kamigoroshi, thank you for that issue number. I've been taking at look at the 'Born Of Death' article you were likely referring to, and already love it. The half-undead templates sound great, especially the deathtouched. There's another article in issue #371 of Dragon titled, 'Playing Dhampyr', which I've also been looking at.

@lunar, the Libris Mortis handbook seems to give credit to half-vampires as a legitimate, playable race (or trait, rather). I realise how absurd it might sound for undead creatures overall to be able to reproduce, though, so I certainly agree with you on the rareness argument.