Post/Author/DateTime	Post
vader_rocks 05-11-07, 02:56 AM	OK, so I'm running a small adventure for a few friends, and they wanted to face off against a vampire or two. So, what the heck, I didn't have any ready-made adventures, 'cause they're all integrated into my ongoing campaign. So I started to create a vampire adventure, and I took a look at the vampire stat block. I felt a bit overwhelmed. The vampire, by itself, has so many powers and abilities, that when you add in class levels, I can't keep track. Anyone have any advice?
Rerecros 05-11-07, 03:30 AM	whats so complex about it? can you be more specific. If your haveing trouble stating a vampire, choose a class that relies on strength and charisma. Black guards or Variant Paladins (tyrany/slaughter) work well. But mostly work on building the story around the head vampire. lost loves and deals with feinds are common themes. Give him/her a thorough backstory with clear motivations, the various spawn, traps and other monsters (see castlevainia) will fall into place.
vader_rocks 05-11-07, 11:21 AM	Well, I unfortunately have my Monster Manual packed away at the moment, but I'll do my best to explain it: The Vampire is a template, right? This means that it is added on to an already existing character. I have never seen nor ran a template that has so many powers attached to it. Gaseous Form, Wolf Form, Dire Wolf Form, Bat Form, Dire Bat Form, each with their own set of statistics. Not to mention the other powers besides forms: Blood Drain, Damage Reduction, New Rules for Death, etc. Now add that template (with all those powers) onto a mid-level human wizard with his own set of unique powers, spells and abilities. Now do you see where I'm coming from?
RobbyPants 05-11-07, 11:51 AM	A lot of the powers won't come into play that often. Basically, I'd keep track of the following: Stat up the PC without the template. Then add in all the relavent bonuses (to ability scores, AC, bonus feats, etc...). These are important because they're static numbers that you will almost certainly use. Remember to track the Fast Healing of the vampire. Remember that unless somehow "slain" they will become gasious at 0 HP. The two abilities most likely for the vampire to use is gaseous form and dominate. Other than that, most abliities won't get used too often. So the long and the short of it, boost their stats, and remember they can become gaseous or use Dominate Person. Other than that, use the Vampie Spawn for all the vampire mooks. It's a base monster, so you can just use the straight stat-block, without having to stat up an NPC for all the weak vampireling minions the BBEG might have. Good luck! :D
Rerecros 05-11-07, 04:24 PM	Wolf Form, Dire Wolf Form, Bat Form, Dire Bat Form, each with their own set of statistics. :confused: What are you talking about, except for gaseous form, vampires can't shapeshift (unless it's a class feature). Their Children of the Night is a summoning ability. Children of the Night (Su): Vampires command the lesser creatures of the world and once per day can call forth 1d6+1 rat swarms, 1d4+1 bat swarms, or a pack of 3d6 wolves as a standard action. (If the base creature is not terrestrial, this power might summon other creatures of similar power.) These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the vampire for up to 1 hour.
EternalZzyx 05-11-07, 04:32 PM	Alternate Form (Su) A vampire can assume the shape of a bat, dire bat, wolf, or dire wolf as a standard action. While in its alternate form, the vampire loses its natural slam attack and dominate ability, but it gains the natural weapons and extraordinary special attacks of its new form. It can remain in that form until it assumes another or until the next sunrise. (If the base creature is not terrestrial, this power might allow other forms.) No, no ability to shape-shift aside from gaseous form at all...
taradusis 05-11-07, 04:33 PM	If you purchase Libris Mortis it has a section on playing undead?It also has the half-vampire which is sort of like Marvel Comics Blade,you only get some of your vampire parents power?RANDOM THOUGHTS.
True Cavalier 05-11-07, 04:42 PM	Actually, it does have shapechanging powers. http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/vampire.htm On running vampires: Most of the powers of the vampire are either densive in nature, or useless. Some tips: 1. Before the fight, make sure the vampire has called some bats swarms; use them to distract PC spellcasters. 2. The Dominate ability is excellent when aimed at the party's fighter. It is also cruel; I once did that to my players, and the dwarven fighter almost wiped out the party. 3. You will probably never use Spider Climb, because you have Gaseous Form and Bat Form to move around, anyway. It can be useful, but rarely. It's mostly there for the cool looks of it. 4. Animal forms are only good for getting away. Wolf form has a fast run speed, and the bat can fly (obviously) 5. Don't forget your Fast Healing at every round ;) 6. Excellent hide and move silently skills mean you will almost certainly get the drop on the PCs. Improved Initiative and +4 Dexterity mean you will almost certainly go first on the second round of combat, too, meaning he can get 2 rounds worth of actions on flat-footed PCs. Combine that with pre-summoned bat swarm attacks. 7. Blood drain is an excellent attack and very scary to the PCs, if the vampire is built around it (Improved Grapple feat for a melee-type character, or that grappling spell from Spell Compendium for spellcasters will do it) 8. The energy drain attack is great for monks, but I don't reccomment it for any other class. Vampire fighters will probably be better with their weapons, and vampire spellcasters have so many abilities to stay out of reach, that you don't get much by getting in melee. You could however use it on a PC that gets too close. Also... You can fight, go gaseous, retreat behind a wall or other obstacle the players cannot cross, wait for Fast Healing to cure you, and step back in to continue the battle, if the vampire is not a spellcaster whose spells will run out eventually. But if you do that, prepare to face badly battered PCs... Unless they can restrict the vampire's movement, or kill it quickly, they will be in deep trouble. Also don't do vampire monks... that's almost too cruel.
temparus2000 05-11-07, 08:37 PM	:confused: What are you talking about, except for gaseous form, vampires can't shapeshift (unless it's a class feature). Their Children of the Night is a summoning ability. Monster manual pg 252 under special qualities: Alternate form. They can change into all of the forms Vader mentioned. He is correct.
Kuronue 05-11-07, 08:43 PM	mostly when I run vampires, if they've been dead a while they tend to assume they're stronger than anything around, so their gaseous form ability I use for dramatic entrances and (if overwhelmed) rapid retreats. Blood Drain isn't that useful- they have to grapple and then bite. But Energy Drain is very useful- their slam attack deals negative levels, which can bring a foe to their knees. their dominate ability comes into play for me when they've got a single person away from the group somehow, since they can tell them to act normally until X point, at which time they'll betray the party - a smart tactic, and rather fun for them to watch.
temparus2000 05-11-07, 08:44 PM	The hardest part of running a vampire is dealing with the weaknesses (found uder Slaying A Vampire, MM pg 253). Sunlight is specifically tricky. Also remember that only running water harms them, they can stay in still water as long as they like. Aside from that, they aren't difficult to run. Just run them like a normal NPC but keep in mind their ability to change into animals and gas, and remember those weaknesses. It may help a lot to make a cheat-sheet of all the vampire's abilities so you have them handy. You'll see that it isn't very hard once you play one a couple times. Hope this helps :)
danielinthewolvesden 05-11-07, 09:18 PM	A You can fight, go gaseous, retreat behind a wall or other obstacle the players cannot cross, wait for Fast Healing to cure you, and step back in to continue the battle, if the vampire is not a spellcaster whose spells will run out eventually. That is really cheesy. Do not do this.
Vharuck 05-11-07, 09:42 PM	That is really cheesy. Do not do this. I'd say if he did this, he's screwed. Nothing like giving the PCs time to prepare for his entrance. They all ready actions to shoot him once he becomes corporeal. The wizard and cleric can cast all the buffs they need (they have the time now and know combat will occur in less than a minute). Really, the vampire gets one shot and then has to wait to get the drop again or even meet them on equal ground. Anyways, here's my tip for a vampire: there are two types. One is feral; he's driven mad by his hunger or willingly embraces it. This vampire is not the typical erudite and classy nobleman in a labyrinthine castle. This vampire prowls the city streets and mutilates anyone he comes across. This is a fun break from the norm, and more importantly easier for the PCs to fight and easier for you to run. But if you like the classic (who doesn't?), then the vampire's abilities are nearly pointless to stat out for a long time. Vampires are puppeteers. They use minions and spawn to do the dirty work, only fighting personally when attempting to finish off weakened foes or when a particularly skilled group of adventurers force him into a corner.