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| #1ZardnaarNov 05, 2014 18:14:36 |
As the title say. My players are right on the borderline of hitting level 10. After I give them xp for last weeks session odds are they will be level 10 in time for the next adventure. I want to do a litle side trek as such and run a 3.0 adventure from Dungeon magazine 84 the Harrowing Issue (Drow) .
The adventure is called the Dying of the Light for lvl 10 PCs in 3.0 The idea is to enter a castle during sun up and kill 7 vampires. In 3.0 terms they have class levels so I will use the variant vampire options in the 5E MM for the spellcasters and I may add hoc on a few abilites for the vampires that are rogues and rangers.
There are a few vampie spawn and the like as well along with a few other types of undead. I would like some suggestionsof what abilites to give the other vampires. The PCs will have ample opportunity for short rests but no long rests. Most of the vampires will be encountered in groups of 1or 2 unless the caslte goes on full alert then they may encounter 3 or 4 all at once.
3.0 Versions/5E conversion
Valdemar Level 10 FIghter (fighter vampire variant in 5E). Raven Vampire Ranger lvl 8 (might give her hunters quarry spell and 1 ranger ability like collossus slayer or make her a generic vampire) Haroun lvl 9 Cleric of Nerull. (tweak the vampire wizard variant using priest spells) Lachlan Male Human Vampire Wiz 10 (wizard variant in MM) Bathica Wiz 7/Lormaster 2 (wizard variant in MM, different spells and maybe foresee diviner ability) Valk Male Dwarf Vampire 7 (weaker fighter just make him a generic vampire in armor or the fighter variant?) Lythia Drow Rogue 7 (4d6 sneak attack+Drow spells?)
These NPCs also have a few magic items but the PCs equipment has barely changed over the last few levels so I do not think I will mind to much if they get the NPCs loot. I'llincorporate the items int the PCs stats if it matters unless it is seriously to screwed up and I need to tone done some of thems (+2 full plate, +3 weapons or armor etc).
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| #2DaveDashNov 05, 2014 18:26:16 |
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| #3ZardnaarNov 05, 2014 18:41:42 |
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| #4RhennyNov 05, 2014 18:54:33 | Wow Zard. I modified and used that adventure when I ran my 3.5e campaign a bunch of years ago (8? 10?im losing track of time). My players loved it. They were creeped out exploring rooms fearing a vampire could pop out at any time. I can't even remember what level they were back then.
I would think that your players could handle it especially if they have a wizard with rope trick (so they can take a short rest or two in safety). They have magic weapons? Hopefully they have death ward. I think it could be a fun horror adventure.
Let us know how it goes! |
| #5ZardnaarNov 05, 2014 20:39:42 |
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| #6FFSAANov 05, 2014 21:15:30 | Vampires have unlimited charm and can do it in bat form while surrounded by bat swarms or while walking on the ceiling with spider climb. They also have 7 slots of animate dead to keep 38 zombies around. They will probably have to be played stupid or be overwhelmed in one round in order for the party to not be wiped out by one of them. Considering it's CR 15 and your party is level 10, I guess that is about right.
Really, even without spells and playing batman tricks, having enough HP to survive a round + the legendary movement to run away + regen to recover + unlimited charm = dead party. They will eventually all be charmed and then convinced to "help" their best friend in some manner that results in the party splitting up so they can be picked off singly. The only way the castle wouldn't get alerted by the first vampire would be if the vampire legitimatly thought he could take the party by himself, if he is losing at all, he can legendary flee and get all his buddies. Your party should have no hope at all. |
| #7SatyrnNov 05, 2014 21:24:46 | *Ahem*
A level 9/10 party could defeat all the vampires a level 9/10 party could defeat if a level 9/10 party could chuck wood...er, I mean defeat vampires |
| #8Delazar78Nov 06, 2014 2:07:13 | ~~Valk Male BEARDLESS Dwarf Vampire 7
aw, the memories... |
| #9ZardnaarNov 06, 2014 3:42:54 |
Well the PCs found the 1st CVampire. SHe managed to grapple the fighter that was investigating her part of the castle and took most of his hit points and drained him of 30 points a greater restoration spell restored. SHe is down and out for an hour if the party take a short rest the castle is on alert and she has reformed and healed up. They also mauled a Gorgon+4 gargoyles, left the nightmares alone. THe number of encounters though will wear the parties resources down though and they only have so many spells to go around. In theory they could take 8-10 short rests, in pracice once alerted they for hunting packs of 3 vamps and hunt as a group. If the pCs long rest they get tracked and hit at night.
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| #10FFSAANov 06, 2014 8:23:37 |
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| #11ElfcrusherNov 06, 2014 9:47:36 |
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| #12FFSAANov 06, 2014 10:19:21 |
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| #13SatyrnNov 06, 2014 10:43:34 | Grappling the fighter and nearly sucking him dry seems like a good, fun plan.
For the next fight, I'd continue the trend, only I'd have the vampire approach the fighter again just to toss him aside and latch onto the wizard or rogue and start sucking. |
| #14ZardnaarNov 06, 2014 11:59:43 |
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| #15DaveDashNov 06, 2014 12:19:27 | 10th level Fighters cannot do 100 damage in a round (action surging) without some serious magical items or some sort or cheating. |
| #16ZardnaarNov 06, 2014 12:41:18 |
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| (Reply to #11)Timborama |
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| #18ElfcrusherNov 06, 2014 12:50:54 |
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| #19ZardnaarNov 06, 2014 12:55:13 |
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| (Reply to #16)DaveDash |
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| #21dmgorgonNov 06, 2014 12:58:04 | I think a level 1 party could kill them all.... that is, if they find their coffins and stake them all before dusk. |
| #22ZardnaarNov 06, 2014 13:00:23 |
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| #23MonsterEnvyNov 06, 2014 13:06:12 |
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| #24ElfcrusherNov 06, 2014 13:07:08 | No, 2 advantage vs 1 disadvantage is not advantage. You don't total them up; they just cancel. |
| #25ZardnaarNov 06, 2014 13:08:37 |
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| #26ZardnaarNov 06, 2014 13:29:58 |
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| #27ElfcrusherNov 06, 2014 13:19:55 | Ah, I see.
Well, Munchkin of the Month award right there. |
| #28ZardnaarNov 06, 2014 13:35:38 |
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| #29DaveDashNov 06, 2014 13:52:32 | Warcaster isn't that great:
1. You don't need warcaster to cast S spells as a Cleric (assuming shield, TWF, or two handed weapon). You can go:
You get one free interaction per round, so you can easily just change hands or release your two weapon hand (or drop it if your DM gets picky about passing weapons over)
Pass weapon to off hand -> Spell. Next round you can pass your weapon back again as your free action.
What the implications are is that you cannot cast a spell as a bonus action then attack, because you need to free up your hand first to cast the spell, and thus you've already consumed your free interaction and cannot pass it back again to attack. But you can attack as a bonus action, THEN cast a spell.
Personally in our group we don't bother with it because tracking all this in combat is way too fiddly.
2. Advantage on concentration check saving throws: Resiliance (Con) is the better feat here. It gets much better as you level, my War cleric at level 17 has +10 con save vs +4 con save at advantage if he took warcaster instead, this is much better given 20 is NOT automatic save in this edition, so some saves you will not make if you took warcaster (ie, Dragons breath), and gives you tons of other advantages outside of just concentration checks. Having con proficency saving throws is not a bad thing at all.
3. The spell on OA is OK. Not that great though for a straight up Cleric (even light cleric), but it depends on what your build is. |
| #30ElfcrusherNov 06, 2014 13:52:29 | Resilience AND Warcaster practically gives immunity to interruption.
I love feats, I just don't love the iWin button killer combos. |
| (Reply to #30)DaveDash |
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| #32ZardnaarNov 06, 2014 14:16:56 |
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| #33ZardnaarNov 06, 2014 14:19:18 |
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| (Reply to #32)DaveDash |
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| #35ZardnaarNov 06, 2014 14:34:58 |
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| #36FFSAANov 06, 2014 21:08:58 | Your PCs didn't kill a vampire, the DM did. Outnumbered 5 to 1, facing a couple priests bedecked with holy symbols of light gods, somehow the vampire thought rather than getting help or at least using low risk ranged powers, charging in and tackling the fighter was somehow a good idea with her 17 INT. Then once proned, rather than use a legendary action to get the heck up and out of the way... she stayed there and waited patiently to be slaughtered. Let me guess, while the fighter stood over here firing, loading, firing, loading, firing, she didn't even bother to make a sound to alert the gargoyles and other creatures in the area. |
| #37ElfcrusherNov 06, 2014 21:28:55 | Like I said, any discussion of vampire tactics is likely to become a DM disparagement-fest. |
| #38melloredNov 07, 2014 5:26:18 | 1: The vampire disguses himself as a tavern keeper and then hires the adventurers for a quest they can't handle.
or
1: The vampire buries himself for 200 years. Waits for the adventurer's to die of old age. |
| #39ElfcrusherNov 07, 2014 6:01:39 |
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| #40TimboramaNov 07, 2014 6:58:42 | Slightly off-topic but I just thought of something, but it hasn't come up in game: When you make an attack with Bless AND Advantage do you
1.) Roll a 1d20+1d4 twice and pick the highest or 2.) Roll 1d20 twice and pick the highest, and THEN add +1d4
I'm thinking #2. Zard and anyone who has had this come up, how have you guys been doing this? Any suggestions from others on what they would do if this comes up? |
| #41DocSunNov 07, 2014 7:03:21 | I had a vampire distory a party of 10s due to bad roles two players got charmed to be vampires allies and he simply requested that they wait while he attended to this intruder and disarm themselves and wait in his champers the third was quickly grappled and just could not break out, the vamp sucked him dry and his regen kept him from being damaged any large amount. then proceeded to feed on the others to death. Vamps are deadly as hell with that save or suck charm and only being able to roll out of it if they ar harmed by anything other than a bite attack or 24 hours pass. |
| #42ZardnaarNov 07, 2014 8:33:08 |
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| #43ElfcrusherNov 07, 2014 8:47:13 |
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| #44ZardnaarNov 07, 2014 9:37:26 |
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