A Vampire and its Coffin [Archive] - Wizards Community

A Vampire and its Coffin [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
P___N
09-13-05, 09:37 AM The description of the vampire begins by stating that Vampires are eternally bound to their coffins. However the only reference to this in the following rules is what happens when a vampire is reduced to 0 HP.

Am I missing something? I know from traditional vampire stories that Vampires have to sleep during the day in their OWN coffin and if they dont they "Die".

In our campaign we just destroyed the coffin of a vampire who has fled. Wondering if he will "die" from not being able to return to his coffin.

Thanks
P
Zathress
09-13-05, 03:55 PM An old 2nd D&D book answers this. Any coffin will do as long as it contains grave dirt from the vampries homeland.

So a older vampire may have several lairs spread out over a givin area
Gallameed
09-13-05, 11:01 PM And Forgotten Realms vamps dont even sleep during the day, they are free from their coffins. (LoD)
Darklord Greywolff
09-14-05, 03:55 PM The description of the vampire begins by stating that Vampires are eternally bound to their coffins. However the only reference to this in the following rules is what happens when a vampire is reduced to 0 HP.

Am I missing something? I know from traditional vampire stories that Vampires have to sleep during the day in their OWN coffin and if they dont they "Die".

In our campaign we just destroyed the coffin of a vampire who has fled. Wondering if he will "die" from not being able to return to his coffin.

Thanks
P

In the traditional stories ie. Bram Stoker's, vampires don't need to sleep during the day at all. They just lose a good deal of thier powers while the sun is up. As for the coffin, a good many things can be concidered a "coffin". For example take one ale barrel, add one cup of homeland dirt, insert one vampire, and you get the scariest barrel of beer that your PCs have ever seen. :D
Prof. Pacali
09-14-05, 08:50 PM In the Ravenloft monster book, Denizens of Dread, there are rules for variant vampires (as well as advanceing age categories, first mentioned in the 2E supplement Van Richten's Guide to Vampires). In particular, the Nosferatu vampire is based on the classic Bram Stoker vampire, which loses its powers during the day, and must sleep in their coffin to regain them. There is also the Elven Vampire, which takes damage for being out of it's coffin at night, and roams around during the day.
MidnightLightning
09-15-05, 12:53 PM So, what happens when you get a 'new' vampire (somone bitten turns Vamp)? Before the next sundown do they need to return to their homeland to get a cupfull of dirt? Or, do they just need to stay out of sunlight, and if they get reduced to 0 HP or lower, they turn gaseous, and die an hour later, since there's no valid coffin they've prepared? In that sense, a Vampire could not have a coffin, they would just be easier to kill.

Also, if a Vampire makes its home underground, do they have to sleep during the day? Undead as a rule don't have to sleep, so it could wander around 24/7 underground?
Finarin Panjoro
09-18-05, 10:20 PM I know that WotC has endorsed a vampire having multiple coffins (see the recent Vampires of Waterdeep adventures in Dungeon Magazine). IMC the sun has been tainted and never shines true daylight meaning that vampires can roam during the day. Since I needed to come up with concrete rules for this I decided that vampires must "sleep" eight hours each day in a coffin which contains soil from the site of their awakening as a vampire. Usually this would be soil from their original grave.
Skyscraper
09-19-05, 01:25 PM So, what happens when you get a 'new' vampire (somone bitten turns Vamp)? Before the next sundown do they need to return to their homeland to get a cupfull of dirt? Or, do they just need to stay out of sunlight, and if they get reduced to 0 HP or lower, they turn gaseous, and die an hour later, since there's no valid coffin they've prepared? In that sense, a Vampire could not have a coffin, they would just be easier to kill.

Also, if a Vampire makes its home underground, do they have to sleep during the day? Undead as a rule don't have to sleep, so it could wander around 24/7 underground?

This is a good point, some game rules might not be entirely in sync with some of the myths around the creature.

In any event, it is not what you'll find on the boards here that counts, but rather how your DM interprets this to work in your campaign. So, i would recommend that your group of PCs meet with some cleric of other knowledgeable NPC, and ask him specifically that question. I think it'a worthwhile to know, because a recurring vampire can be a pain at best.

Sky

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
P___N 09-13-05, 09:37 AM	The description of the vampire begins by stating that Vampires are eternally bound to their coffins. However the only reference to this in the following rules is what happens when a vampire is reduced to 0 HP. Am I missing something? I know from traditional vampire stories that Vampires have to sleep during the day in their OWN coffin and if they dont they "Die". In our campaign we just destroyed the coffin of a vampire who has fled. Wondering if he will "die" from not being able to return to his coffin. Thanks P
Zathress 09-13-05, 03:55 PM	An old 2nd D&D book answers this. Any coffin will do as long as it contains grave dirt from the vampries homeland. So a older vampire may have several lairs spread out over a givin area
Gallameed 09-13-05, 11:01 PM	And Forgotten Realms vamps dont even sleep during the day, they are free from their coffins. (LoD)
Darklord Greywolff 09-14-05, 03:55 PM	The description of the vampire begins by stating that Vampires are eternally bound to their coffins. However the only reference to this in the following rules is what happens when a vampire is reduced to 0 HP. Am I missing something? I know from traditional vampire stories that Vampires have to sleep during the day in their OWN coffin and if they dont they "Die". In our campaign we just destroyed the coffin of a vampire who has fled. Wondering if he will "die" from not being able to return to his coffin. Thanks P In the traditional stories ie. Bram Stoker's, vampires don't need to sleep during the day at all. They just lose a good deal of thier powers while the sun is up. As for the coffin, a good many things can be concidered a "coffin". For example take one ale barrel, add one cup of homeland dirt, insert one vampire, and you get the scariest barrel of beer that your PCs have ever seen. :D
Prof. Pacali 09-14-05, 08:50 PM	In the Ravenloft monster book, Denizens of Dread, there are rules for variant vampires (as well as advanceing age categories, first mentioned in the 2E supplement Van Richten's Guide to Vampires). In particular, the Nosferatu vampire is based on the classic Bram Stoker vampire, which loses its powers during the day, and must sleep in their coffin to regain them. There is also the Elven Vampire, which takes damage for being out of it's coffin at night, and roams around during the day.
MidnightLightning 09-15-05, 12:53 PM	So, what happens when you get a 'new' vampire (somone bitten turns Vamp)? Before the next sundown do they need to return to their homeland to get a cupfull of dirt? Or, do they just need to stay out of sunlight, and if they get reduced to 0 HP or lower, they turn gaseous, and die an hour later, since there's no valid coffin they've prepared? In that sense, a Vampire could not have a coffin, they would just be easier to kill. Also, if a Vampire makes its home underground, do they have to sleep during the day? Undead as a rule don't have to sleep, so it could wander around 24/7 underground?
Finarin Panjoro 09-18-05, 10:20 PM	I know that WotC has endorsed a vampire having multiple coffins (see the recent Vampires of Waterdeep adventures in Dungeon Magazine). IMC the sun has been tainted and never shines true daylight meaning that vampires can roam during the day. Since I needed to come up with concrete rules for this I decided that vampires must "sleep" eight hours each day in a coffin which contains soil from the site of their awakening as a vampire. Usually this would be soil from their original grave.
Skyscraper 09-19-05, 01:25 PM	So, what happens when you get a 'new' vampire (somone bitten turns Vamp)? Before the next sundown do they need to return to their homeland to get a cupfull of dirt? Or, do they just need to stay out of sunlight, and if they get reduced to 0 HP or lower, they turn gaseous, and die an hour later, since there's no valid coffin they've prepared? In that sense, a Vampire could not have a coffin, they would just be easier to kill. Also, if a Vampire makes its home underground, do they have to sleep during the day? Undead as a rule don't have to sleep, so it could wander around 24/7 underground? This is a good point, some game rules might not be entirely in sync with some of the myths around the creature. In any event, it is not what you'll find on the boards here that counts, but rather how your DM interprets this to work in your campaign. So, i would recommend that your group of PCs meet with some cleric of other knowledgeable NPC, and ask him specifically that question. I think it'a worthwhile to know, because a recurring vampire can be a pain at best. Sky