Players looking to embody a true vampire in Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition will soon have a dedicated class option. Ghostfire Gaming, in collaboration with White Wolf, is releasing a supplement titled "Bound By Blood" that aims to capture the essence of playing a vampire as seen in the Vampire: The Masquerade tabletop roleplaying game.
The "Bound By Blood" supplement will introduce a distinct vampire class featuring mechanics such as blood points, which can be spent on unique bloodline powers known as disciplines. Players will also have to contend with an "inner beast", a common theme in Vampire: The Masquerade lore. This contrasts with the existing dhampir options in D&D, which represent a half-vampire lineage and were first introduced in the "Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft" supplement.
In addition to the class rules, "Bound By Blood" will include an adventure set in the Dark Ages timeline of the Vampire: The Masquerade universe, transporting players to medieval Europe. Ghostfire Gaming has announced that the supplement is slated for release in July and will be available on D&D Beyond.
White Wolf has clarified that "Bound By Blood" is not the primary project they intend to announce at the upcoming Gen Con event, dispelling speculation that it was. The publisher indicated they have a separate, significant announcement planned for the convention. Despite this distinction, White Wolf expressed enthusiasm for expanding the appeal of vampires to a wider audience.
The Vampire: The Masquerade franchise has seen a resurgence in attention recently. Beyond "Bound By Blood," other upcoming projects include the narrative-driven CRPG "Eternal Whispers," which is said to draw inspiration from "Disco Elysium," and the actual-play series "City Council of Darkness" from Dimension 20, which offers a unique take on the setting by blending it with elements reminiscent of "Parks and Recreation."
Following the release of "Bound By Blood," D&D's schedule includes further adventures set in the Greyhawk setting and a supplement for the Eberron setting called "Frontiers of Eberron: Quickstone."