Dhampires in Warhammer Fantasy

No one knows when Dhampires fully came into being in the World; there are rumors that they originated
in Lahmia; others proclaim they were the results of experiments of Nagash. The first confirmed sighting
of them, however, was near Cathay. Dhampires are a unique breed in the world; half-breeds of Vampires
and other species—mostly human—that wield both the strengths and weaknesses of Vampires in a
diluted manner.

The births of the first Dhampires was quite dark; they could only be born via a vampire father and a non-
vampire mother (vampire females would tend to absord/kill the unborn child unless they engorged on
blood and/or were sustained with dark magic, but then the child would be born a full vampire anyway).
Of course, the pregnancy of the mother is a tenuous one; the mother needs to be properly fed and the
magic flowing must be minimized to prevent a miscarriage or worse. Even then, a mother might die
during the birthing process. While Dhampires can still be born this way, the more common/”safer”
method is for a Dhampire to either impart their own diluted Blood Kiss upon their partner or to simply
breed.

When first born, a Dhampire is fully indistinguishable to all but the most magically gifted seers; even
then the seers would only see magical potential rather than their hybrid nature. However, as the
Dhampire grows older they developed their magical abilities and affinity with the Winds of Magic. That
said, for a Dhampire to fully mature they must either consume the blood and flesh of a magical creature,
minute amounts of Warpstone, or be exposed to the Necromantic powers of a Vampire. Otherwise, the
unrecognized Dhampire can live a full life unaware of their true nature yet still be able to pass on the
Dhampire trait to their own offspring.

When a Dhampires powers fully awaken, they are, at best, slightly stronger than the base species (eg
slightly stronger than the average human) with diluted Vampiric powers and weaknesses (they can’t fully
resurrect and animated armies, perhaps a small handful or a large creature like a manticore but they can
withstand the sunlight and aren’t repulsed by holy symbols). But for the rest of their natural lives, they
have a choice: Fully embrace their vampiric nature until they become full vampires themselves (but still
able to have half-breed children), have a strictly disciplined nature so that their vampiric urges and
weaknesses are minimized whilst maximizing their magical potential without going mad, or something in
between.

Dhampires, by default, still have a thirst for the blood (albeit a more subdued version). However, a
disciplined life of moderation and the blood of animals can be enough to satisfy hunger. Those few that
can follow the footsteps of the Blood Dragons can satiate their hunger by consuming enough blood of a
powerful creature (but it doesn’t have to be fully drained and killed—not that it stops dhampires from
doing so).

Dhampires can theoretically wield all forms of magic; from any of the Eight Winds to those lores
dedicated to regions or religions through discipline and study. That said, there are exceptionally rare
instances of a Dhampire being able to learn/copy knowledge from tasting the blood of a magic user. The
resulting magic spells copied are quite weak and minimal initially but further consumption of blood or
general study will allow the copied skills to grow. The initial necromantic powers of a Dhampire are fairly
diluted even when compared to a human practicing necromancy; as a trade off the undead animated by
dhampires are unusually cunning, still possessing some remnants of their old selves and are almost
completely self-sustaining. It’s not an uncommon site for dhampires to animate zombies and skeletons
as simple farmhands or laborers whenever they travel to.

Dhampires can impart their own version of a Blood Kiss to create other Dhampires; these second-
generation dhampires will always start out the same regardless of how far their progenitor has gone:
Slightly stronger, with mild necromancy, and with diluted weaknesses. However, there are rare occasions
where the Blood Kiss can mutate and create a full vampire by accident. Neither party ends up happy
with the results most of the time.

The biggest quirk of Dhampires is their blood and its properties. If a person ever consumes or receives
Dhampire blood, they temporarily gain vampiric powers and weaknesses for a short period of time, often
leaving the being in question delirious and often craving that sensation again. A unique side effect is that
after the transformation wears off there’s a small change the individual can resurrect after death as a
lesser vampire or a wight depending on circumstance. If a Vampire consumes the blood of a Dhampire,
the vampire has their weaknesses briefly removed. If a weapon is coated or tempered with Dhampire
blood, the weapon gains the ability to detect Necromantic powers and can also weaken the undead with
each strike even if no damage is initially caused. If those tainted by Chaos ingest the blood of
Dhampires, it will cause pain by default, with rare occasions causing the victim to explode in a gory
fashion and then have their spirit begin to lash out at everything in sight.

Due to these traits, Dhampires are often hounded for their abilities for a variety of reasons, leaving
Dhampires as mostly wandering sects or tribes around the world, rarely settling down unless they can
work out a mutually beneficial deal. For those of the human nations, Dhampires can make good
Vampire and Chaos hunters when highly regulated and their blood can be useful. The Elfs and Dwarfs
generally refuse to interact with Dhampires except to hire the latter as unique agents to sniff out
Necromantic activities. Greenskins find dhampires as “less foity blud drinkaz” but are still willing to
engage them in battle. Ogres find a strange kinship with Dhampires due to their wandering mercenary
nature and often ravenous appetites. The undead will use Dhampires as agents or liaisons to negotiate
between rival factions or as spies. The Lizardmen will attempt to exterminate Dhampires on the spot,
but on at least one occasion a Dhampire was spared because the Dhampire in question accidentally
helped foil a Necromancer’s plan to animate a Kroxigor boneyard. The forces of Chaos see dhampires as
useful tools at best, and fodder at worst.

In all, Dhampires are a unique faction of the Warhammer world; truly born out of a strange—possibly
forbidden—relationship, dhampires struggle to find their niche and place in the world, wherever it lies.
There are tales, however, of a Dhampire from Grand Cathay—supposedly the son of a Cathian
seamstress and a Vampire Coast captain—who has made it his goal to unite the dhampires together to
create a nation of their own. His name—or at least, one of his names—is Lee “Halfblood” Cutter,
pirate/privateer for hire.