Kuei

The kuei, or eastern vampires, are also known as hungry ghosts. The are not living humans turned undead, like a vampire, but rather a kind of revenant, recently dead people that return to unlife through their own strength of will and karmic debt. As such, they have a lot in common with spirits.

There are no clans or bloodlines among the kuei, since each one is individually responsible for their condition, without any help from others.

Kuei (Template)

Risen from the dead and filled with eternal hunger, kuei feed upon the living and dead alike. After the first death, the kuei must fight free of hell with his own power, and reanimate his flesh by an act of Will. Few have what it takes to do so. Those that do, are ghosts encased in unliving flesh.

Torpor

Some effects can send a kuei into torpor (also known as the little death). It is effectively dead, and the body is completely indistinguishable from any other dead body unless dissected. While the body lies insensate, the kuei's spirit roams nearby in the underworld. When the effect ends, the kuei returns to the body and leaves torpor.

Template Traits

Kuei is an acquired template that can be added to any human except a mage. It is gained when a recently dead humanoid body is repossessed by its former owner. For some unknown reason, only people in Asia or of Asian descent become kuei. Westerners that return from the dead in this manner become revenants.

Type: Undead vampire zombie.

Hit Dice: Each die is replaced by 1d12, regardless of class. Kuei have no Constitution score, so they get no bonuses to their HD.

Ability Modifiers: Kuei have no Constitution score. They get +2 Strength and +2 Wisdom.

Advancement: Kuei advance by character class, and by the kuei power class. They can have all normal and advanced classes not specifically prohibited.

Taint: A kuei has a permanent corruption score equal to 1 + one-half the kuei's Charisma score.

Special Qualities

A kuei retains all the special qualities of the base creature and gains the additional special qualities described below.

Blood Drain (Ex): A kuei can suck blood from a helpless or pinned living victim, if it has fangs (not all kuei do) or has pierced the skin some other way. It drains blood for as long as the victim remains helpless or pinned. Each round of drain, the kuei deals 1d4 points of Constitution damage and gains one of the following benefits:

• Heal 5 hit points of damage.
• Gain 5 temporary hit points.
• Heal 1 point of ability damage.
• Regenerate a fifth of a lost or withered limb. The regeneration occurs over a 24 hour period. The limb doesn't become functional until its completely regenerated.

If the kuei kills the victim, the effect is double during the final round.

Since it is pleasurable to drain blood, the kuei must succeed with a Will save (DC 10 + 2 * the number of nights since it last fed) when it wants to stop draining a victim. The DC depends on the kuei's condition when it started to drain the victim.

Being drained by a kuei is always a spiritual and physical violation, unlike the seductive kiss of a vampire.

Stored blood, such as from a blood bank, is useless to a kuei.

Eating Flesh (Ex): If you spend a full round flat-footed ripping a freshly killed foe open and eating his entrails (mainly the heart and liver), you get an immediate free Second Wind. You must still be below half hit points, and you cannot have used a Second Wind previously in the same encounter.

The victim doesn't have to be killed by you, or even fresh. Feeding on the kills of others removes hunger and counts as having fed during the night, but provide no other benefits.

Undead Resilience: A kuei reduced to 0 hit points is helpless but not unconscious. He can only be killed by massive damage from fire or some substance to which he has a weakness. Massive damage from other sources, such as chopping the body into little pieces, will not prevent a vampire from returning in the sequel.

Weaknesses

A kuei has several weaknesses, described below.

Unhealing: A kuei has no natural means of healing. It cannot regain hit points by resting.

Chi Animation: The kuei requires Chi to sustain itself. If it did not feed the previous night, it does not heal during the day's sleep, and takes 2d6 rot damage as it wakes in the evening. Rot damage cannot be healed with Fast Healing.

If at least one night has passed without feeding, the kuei is hungry. If more than three nights has passed without feeding, it is famished.

Creature of the Night: While the sun is in the sky (even if you cannot actually see it), you are exhausted, and none of your supernatural powers can be used.

Additional Weaknesses: In addition to the common weaknesses above, a kuei has 6 of the following weaknesses. It may pick an extra weakness at kuei class level 1 to get en extra basic ability, and at kuei class level 5 to get an extra intermediate ability.

Depending on whether your Chi is attuned to Yin, Yang, or balanced, some weaknesses will be either mandatory or forbidden.

Aversion: You are repelled by the object of your aversion. You must make a DC 25 Will save to come within 20 feet of the aversion, and even then can only advance at 5 feet per round. If the object of the aversion comes closer, on its own or with someone else’s help, you must make another Will save or must retreat out of range. You suffer a -2 penalty on melee attacks against anyone wearing or carrying the aversion.

You can take the aversion weakness more than once, with multiple objects. Garlic and holy symbols are common aversions, as are symbols of life, vitality, and purity.

Severe Aversion: It is also possible to take aversion twice for the same substance. If trapped within 20 feet of the object of severe aversion, you must make a Charisma check every round to avoid taking damage, with a DC of 15 +1 per additional round you are there. When you fail a check, you begin suffering much as if you are a mortal drowning: in the next round you fall unconscious with 0 hit points, the round after that you're reduced to -1 hit points, and the round after that, you're destroyed. You can heal (and use special escape options like Gaseous Form) only after the aversion is removed or you're taken out of its range.

Offensive to Animals: Animals instinctively dislike and fear you. You get a -5 morale penalty on all Animals checks. Ride can never be trained.

Pallor of the Grave: You have lost all bodily functions, and look pale as the dead. Not necessarily the recently dead, either. You suffer a -5 penalty to all non-coercive social interactions with those who can see you.

Reek of the Grave: You always smell of grave mold and decay, no matter how clean and trim you may look. You suffer a -5 penalty to all non-coercive social interactions with those who can smell you.

Slumber of the Dead: While the sun is up, you are unconscious. You will not wake even if rats gnaw your body or hunters tickle you with torches. If some magic effect wakes you, you will immediately fall unconscious when the duration is up.

Vulnerability: You take extra damage from attacks using a particular substance. Whatever damage reduction you have don’t apply to the substance, and you suffer 2d6 additional damage from attacks using it. Fast Healing does not apply to damage sustained in such attacks. A successful critical attack with the substance paralyzes you instantly, leaving you unable to move or act (though you continue to sense the world and to think) until the substance is removed.

You can take this weakness a second time for even greater vulnerability. Attacks with the substance do 4d6 extra damage. The critical threat range of weapons with the substance is increased by 2, and a successful critical hit instantly destroys you.

Wood, silver, fire, and sunlight are the most common vulnerabilities. Holy objects are less common.

A kuei that is vulnerable to sunlight doesn't burn like a western vampire, it rots instead.

Kuei (Power Class)

Must be a kuei.

Hit Die: 1d12. Being undead, you get no Constitution bonus.

Defenses: AC +2, Reflex +4, Will +2.

Table: Kuei Power Class

Level	BAB	MR	Skills	Class Features
1	+1	+½		2 Basic Qualities
2	+2	+1		Basic Quality
3	+3	+1½	1	+1 Cha, Basic Quality, Bonus Feat
4	+4	+2		Intermediate Quality
5	+5	+2½	1	Intermediate Quality
6	+6	+3		+1 Dex, Bonus Feat
7	+7	+3½		Intermediate Quality
8	+8	+4	1	Advanced Quality
9	+9	+4½		+1 Cha, Bonus Feat
10	+10	+5	1	Advanced Quality

Basic Qualities

You can pick a basic quality from the list below. In general, you cannot pick the same quality more than once. You must meet listed any prerequisites.

Black Wind: You can enter a kind of frenzied rage once per day per 2 kuei levels. The rage lasts 5 rounds. While in frenzy you gain a +2 rage bonus to melee attack rolls and melee damage rolls, as well as +10 move. There are no penalties when the rage ends. You may use demon shintai while in frenzy, but no other powers.

Black Wind replaces the Rage talent. At any level where you can choose a talent from your class, you may choose to select a talent from the Rage Talent Tree instead.

Blindsense: You can sense your surroundings with hearing, scent, and touch even when your sight is useless. You don't have to make Perception checks to pinpoint the location of anything within your normal line of sight. Concealed foes have total concealment, with the regular penalties, and you are still denied your Dexterity bonus to Defense against attacks from sources you cannot see.

Fangs: You gain a Bite attack that does 1d6 damage + Strength modifier.

Fast Healing: You can heal half your class levels (rounded up) in hit points per round, as long as you have at least 1 hit point. If reduced to 0 hit points, you are disabled much like other creatures.

Flow Like Blood: You can become fluid as blood, thereby making yourself hard to it. All attacks that you can see have a 20% miss chance.

Intimidation: You can radiate an intense aura inspiring dread and fear in others. It takes a standard action to begin or end this effect. While it’s active, you receive a bonus of +2 plus 1/2 class level (rounded up) to all checks relating to intimidation and coercion, and animals will not voluntarily attack you if any possibility for flight exists. Anyone attacking you must make a Will check, DC 15 + your Charisma modifier, to avoid being considered shaken while fighting you (-2 penalty to all attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks).

TODO: Better mechanics needed.

Resistance: You gain the ability to ignore 2 points per class level of damage from cold-based and electricity-based attacks.

Stand Upon the Dragon's Back: By channeling Chi from the earth's natural flows, you root yourself. While standing on the ground, you are immune to knockback, knockdown, and martial arts throws.

Intermediate Qualities

You can pick an intermediate quality from the list below. In general, you cannot pick the same quality more than once. You must meet any listed prerequisites.

You do not have to take the basic version of a quality before getting the intermediate version, and can choose to acquire an additional basic quality instead of an intermediate one. All these qualities are consider Su (supernatural).

Bloodlash: As a standard action, you can use Chi to coagulate a tendril of your blood into a razor-sharp liquid whip. This requires an open wound, though you can bite yourself if you are unharmed. Each round you keep the whip you take 1 point of damage as you bleed, and it does 2d6 + your Wisdom modifier slashing or acid damage, whichever is better.

You are considered proficient with this whip, and you can use it as a whip or as a spiked chain, though the damage is the same. You can use either your Dexterity or your Wisdom modifier to hit with it. If you manage to entangle a target, you can choose to constrict it, doing damage each round.

Breath Drain: You can drain Chi directly from a victim in the form of "breath". This works exactly like blood drain above, except that there's no need for any of that icky bleeding. Victims killed by breath drain show no signs of how they died.

Claws: You may harden your fingers into knife-sharp weapons capable of inflicting 1d8 damage. They can penetrate damage reduction as if they were either silver or magic. (Choose one of these options when you develop this quality.)

Curse: You can cast an evil eye upon a target and inflict supernatural misfortune. You make a ranged touch attack, up to 25 ft. + 5 ft./2 class levels away. You must make eye contact (or speak a comprehensible curse, when dealing with blind targets) and make a ritual gesture while performing the attack. The target then makes a Will save. If successful, the target suffers a -2 penalty on all attack rolls, saves, skill checks, and ability checks for a number of days equal to the your class level. Failure means that the target also suffers 1d4 points of temporary Wisdom damage. If the Vampire confirms a critical hit (threat range 20), he may choose one of the following effects: the target suffers a -6 penalty instead, or the target gets no save against the Wisdom damage, or the duration changes to one week per class level.

Needs better mechanics.

Damage Reduction II: Your get damage reduction 5/metal or 5/wood, that stacks with any other damage reduction you have.

Demon Shintai: As a move action, you can transform into your demon self. You can do this once per day per two kuei levels, and the transformation lasts one round per level. While transformed, you get a +2 bonus to melee damage rolls and melee attack rolls, +2 natural armor, and two demon features. You choose your demon features the first time you transform, and they remain the same ever after.

Whenever a class allows you to choose a talent, you may pick an extra demon feature instead.

The following demon features are available:

Claws: You have claws that do 1d8 + your Strength modifier damage. If you have claws in your normal form, you get this feature for free.

Demon Armor: May look like scales, ornate armor, or anything else. Provides +2 natural armor.

Demon weapon: An obviously demonic +1 melee weapon of any type appears in your hand. Despite being a part of you, you can lose this weapon due to successful disarm or sunder attempts. It will be recreated in your hand next time you transform.

Extra Arms: You gain two extra arms each time you pick this feature.

Foulness: You are exceedingly foul. Living creatures within 5 feet must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ your level + your Charisma modifier) or be sickened for 1d6+4 minutes. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again that night. A delay poison or neutralize poison spell removes the effect from a sickened creature. Creatures with immunity to poison are unaffected, and creatures resistant to poison receive their normal bonus on their saving throws.

You can pick this feature again, extending your aura to 10 feet.

Horror: You inspire horror beyond the normal even for a demon. You can radiate a 5-foot-radius fear aura as a free action. Living creatures must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + ½ your level + your Charisma modifier) or be affected as though by a fear spell. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again that night.

You can pick this feature again, extending your aura to 10 feet.

Host: Fanged demonic faces sprout from your body and limbs. They automatically bite grappled opponents for 1d6 damage (total for all faces).

Large: Your demonic form grows Large, and you get all normal bonuses and penalties for it. You must have two other demonic feature before you can pick this one.

Maw: Your mouth distends and sprouts terrible teeth. You have a bite attack for 1d8 damage + your Strength modifier.

Spikes: Your body is spined all over. This has the same effects as spiked armor.

Tail: You grow a prehensile tail. It can wield weapons or slam for 1d4 damage. Attacks from the tail only gets ½ your Strength modifier.

You can pick tail a second time to grow a poisonous scorpion-like stinger at the tip. The poison affects the spirit, and affects humans and monsters alike (but not mindless beings such as zombies and most constructs). Anyone hit by the sting must make a Will save (DC 10 + ½ your level + your Charisma modifier) or take 2d12 damage.

Third Eye: You sprout a third eye in your forehead. It is ever vigilant, can see invisible, and gives you +2 on Perception checks.

Wings: You sprout a pair of wings. You can fly at your normal speed with Poor maneuverability.

Selective Senses: You can filter out anything in your environment that you’d rather disregard, by simple act of will. You negate all penalties to Perception checks for environmental distractions such as noxious smells, deafening noises, and blinding lights, and is immune to sudden sensory shocks such as flash-blinding from flares of light. You can also spend one full action to isolate a single sensory input, such as a single conversation in the midst of a crowd or the smell of poison in a dinner buffet.

Tread the Thrashing Dragon's Tail: By polarizing your Chi in line with that of your surroundings, you become preternaturally deft and light. You can walk on any surface, even water or ceilings, and you leave no footprints. If you fall you take half damage, and your jump distances are doubled.

Advanced Qualities

At 8th and 10th level, you can pick an advanced quality from the list below. In general, you cannot pick the same quality more than once. You must meet any listed prerequisites.

You can choose to take an additional basic or intermediate quality instead of an advanced one.

Command of Age: The Vampire may appear to be any age, from shortly before the onset of puberty up to old age and decrepitude as experienced by living members of his species. This does not affect his abilities or other scores in any way. It takes a move action to make the change.

Goblin Lantern: As a full-round action, you can transform your entire body into a tiny ball of Chi fire. You have no hands (or legs for that matter) and cannot hold anything, but you can still bite, and you can fly at your normal speed with good maneuverability. Anyone that attacks you in melee takes 1d6 + your level fire damage.

Since you are only semisolid, anyone attacking you have a 50% miss chance unless they have ghost touch or are incorporeal themselves. You have ghost touch on your own attacks.

This power lasts until sunrise. At any time before the duration runs out, you can spend a standard action to end it, by flaring your aura into a point-blank 20 feet radius burst that does 4d6 fire damage and blinds like pyrotechnics.

Harmony with the All: Once per day, as a standard action, you can attune yourself with the cosmic all for 1 round per level. While using this power, you ignore all penalties of all kinds, you can use all skills and weapons as if trained, and you cannot be surprised or flat-footed. Bonuses still affect you as normal.

Harnessing the Dragon's Breath: You can fly at 60 feet per round with perfect maneuverability. It takes a move action to take off or land.

Iron Soul: You become immune to mind-affecting effects.

Ride the Dragon: If you are standing on a ley line, you can teleport along the line as a standard action. You cannot control your arrival spot exactly, so this power is mostly useful for long-range transportation and escape.

Semblance of the Ebon Dragon: You can transform your entire body into an incorporeal Yin-spirit, capable of traveling in the underworld. This power lasts until you choose to end it. You do not need to feed while you are in spirit-form.

Semblance of the Scarlet Queen: You can transform your entire body into an incorporeal Yang-spirit, capable of traveling in the shadow world. This power lasts until you choose to end it. You do not need to feed while you are in spirit-form.

Soul Shackles: You may take an attack action to crush an opponent’s will by gazing into the target’s eyes. The target must be within 30 feet and able to see you. (Blind targets can be mesmerized through the your voice, if they are in range and can hear you.) The target must make a Will save of DC 10 + 1/2 your class level + your Charisma modifier to avoid being enthralled for a number of days equal to the your class level. While dominated, the target temporarily loses all previous allegiances and gains an obsessive loyalty to you. The target can make a second Will save to escape control if ordered to do something blatantly self-destructive.

Bonus Feat

At 3rd level, you can pick a feat for which you have all prerequisites. You can choose one of Archaic Weapons Proficiency, Combat Reflexes, Deflect Missiles, Dodge, Lightning Reflexes, Martial Arts I, Martial Arts II, and Rapid Strike.

You can pick another bonus feat at 6th and 9th level.

Chi Attunement

A kuei can be attuned to Yin Chi, to Yang Chi, or be balanced and attuned to neither kind.

Balanced Chi

A kuei with balanced chi has the following restrictions on weaknesses:

• Vulnerability (fire, sunlight) is required.

Yin Chi

A kuei with Yin chi has the following restrictions on weaknesses:

• Pallor of the Grave is required.
• Reek of the Grave is recommended.
• Vulnerability (fire, metal) are prohibited.
• Vulnerability (wood) is required.
• Severe Vulnerability (sunlight) is required.

Basic Qualities

Damage Reduction I: You gain a damage reduction of 5/wood.

Ghostsight (Ex): You can see Yin spirits such as ghosts, and can peep into the underworld as a standard action. Ghostsight also provides Skill Focus (Treat Injury), as it reveals wounds and diseases.

Slow Drain: Your undead body don’'t demand as much chi to animate itself as do those of other, less enlightened vampires. You can go without feeding for a number of nights equal to your Wisdom modifier without ill effects.

Yang Chi

Yang-attuned kuei have so much life energy in their bodies that they are unliving rather than undead. As such, they have Constitution scores, and are very lifelike. A Yang kuei is completely indistinguishable from a human when not using powers, and has all bodily functions including sex and procreation (only with a human, the child is a dhampire).

A kuei with Yang chi has the following restrictions on weaknesses:

• Pallor of the Grave is forbidden.
• Severe Vulnerability (fire) is required. Yang chi is flammable.
• Vulnerability (metal) is required. Choose silver, iron, or both.
• Vulnerability (sunlight, wood) are not recommended.

Basic Qualities

Damage Reduction I: You gain a damage reduction of 5/iron or 5/silver.

Lifesight: You can see Yang spirits, and can peep into the shadow world as a standard action. Lifesight also provides Skill Focus (Perception), as it reveals emotions and the presence of life.

See Also

• Kindred of the East
• Revenant
• Vampire

Modern Horror
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