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View Full Version : Varient Rule for Killing Vampires.



BRC
2010-03-23, 05:00 PM
Aka Taking them Down Buffy Style!
The standard method of killing Vampires in DnD is to beat them up, follow their gaseous selves to their coffins, and stake them there.

Now this is all well and good, but It's not exactly what I'm looking for, so instead, I'm instituting this version.

When it's reduced below 0 hit points, a Vampire becomes sluggish, slow, and easy prey for anybody . During this time it is disoriented, it can take no more than a 5 foot step and a single standard action at a -5 penalty each round. It cannot cast spells, use class features, special abilities, feats, threaten squares, charge, flank, or use any magic items besides Use Activated ones. It automatically goes last in the initiative count (Unless people delay actions to go after it).
It loses it's Turn Resistance and is considered helpless.
If affected by a successful Turn check, the vampire is paralyzed for a round, during this time it's fast heal takes no effect.
The
If the vampires hit points reach the negative of it's max hit points, it is destroyed (So, if it has 20 HP, it is destroyed upon reaching -20).
If it is immersed in running water for even 1 round, it is destroyed.
However, the simplest way of destroying it is to stake it's heart. A thick wooden stake is preferable here, but any weapon that deals piercing damage and overcomes the vampires DR will work. (Weapons that deal both piercing and bludgeoning won't work, neither will spiked chains).
Staking a disoriented vampire is normally a full round action. However, it can be done other ways.
A standard melee attack can be made with an appropriate weapon at a -5 penalty, any class capable of dealing precision damage may reduce this penalty by 2 per dice of additional damage they deal (So a 3rd level rogue would only take a -1 penalty).

So yeah. It's complex true, But I think it's more exciting.

Lord Vukodlak
2010-03-23, 06:23 PM
This is similar to what I do, though my vampires are more inspired by those from Soul Reaver.

A vampire reduced to 0 hit points goes into a waver like state similar to what you describe. Though they leave the waver state after 1d4 rounds, the fast healing still functions so the vampire may emerge with anywhere between 5-20hp. *A vampire can't be reduced to negative hit points, and older vampires may have a higher rate of fast healing*

Certain spells like Searing Light, and other sun damaging spells will slay a vampire it reduces to zero hit points or is used to strike one already at that level.

Stakes could be the bolt from a crossbow or bow, a javelin or spear.
A staked vampire is not dead, once removed the vampire will quickly return to life. To insure its destruction you need to burn the body, decapitation and burning the remains in two separate funeral pyres if preferred.

While most vampires are indeed destroyed if decapitated some vampires could return to life if the head was reattached while certain dark magics could also restore the vampire that has been decapitated (assuming you have the head and the body).

Immersion in water also isn't permanently fatal either, After 3 rounds the vampire sinks to the bottom and falls into a permanent catatonic state until removed that is. The other downside is a vampire submerged in several feet of water will not ignite and turn into crispy critters when exposed to sunlight.

Sunlight is of course highly effective but the most ancient of vampires ones who have lived a thousand years are immune to its touch and that of turn undead.

Now here's the thing about staking a fully active vampire it runs against the abstract hit points of D&D. I mean if you can just stake vampire at the outset the vampire should be able to do the same to you.

BRC
2010-03-23, 06:33 PM
Now here's the thing about staking a fully active vampire it runs against the abstract hit points of D&D. I mean if you can just stake vampire at the outset the vampire should be able to do the same to you.
Yeah, that's why my rules call for only staking vampires who have been knocked into negatives. The "Attack at a -5 penalty" is if, for some reason, you don't want to spend a full round doing a CDG.

Eurus
2010-03-23, 08:59 PM
Sounds cool, but it seems like it might make vampires weaker since they're pretty much doomed as soon as they're down to 0 HP rather than having a chance to get away.

Scow2
2010-03-23, 09:22 PM
Makes them easier to kill, yes, but it also makes them much less annoying to fight...

imp_fireball
2010-03-24, 01:21 AM
Weapons that deal both piercing and bludgeoning won't work

What's the logic behind that? Concussion should add force to the pointy end.


Sounds cool, but it seems like it might make vampires weaker since they're pretty much doomed as soon as they're down to 0 HP rather than having a chance to get away.

Easy way to fix that is to lower the LA, thus lower the challenge rating, thus make it more feasible to have adventures involving entire vampire rave cults and uber vampires with lots of npc/pc levels, not to mention 'buffed vampire' templates with the additional spell like abilities to create those closer to the all desirable Alucard. :smallwink:

Seems good to me.


Certain spells like Searing Light, and other sun damaging spells will slay a vampire it reduces to zero hit points or is used to strike one already at that level.

Add in sunlight vulnerability, which should give something like 300% damage from holy/light sources.

Ashtagon
2010-03-24, 01:23 AM
What's the logic behind that? Concussion should add force to the pointy end.

I think the point is that the spikey bits P&B weapons aren't long enough to reliably penetrate deep to the heart.

imp_fireball
2010-03-24, 01:26 AM
I think the point is that the spikey bits P&B weapons aren't long enough to reliably penetrate deep to the heart.

Well then say if the piercing damage is higher then 1d2, then it works. An ordinary stake might match say, a dagger, which is 1d4, which is good enough. Still pretty low.

High piercing damage weapons are usually the result of the protrusion being longer and larger. Anything hooked results in slashing damage. Anything bulbous and weighted results in bludgeoning damage. Not much else to it.

Maybe for piercing the heart, catching the vampire flatfooted or rendering it helpless actually helps for this purpose - but for nothing else.

If the tool isn't long or larger enough, you can always dig in with it (if you know what I mean). By that logic you could use a scalpel or a toothpick.

BRC
2010-03-24, 08:15 AM
Well then say if the piercing damage is higher then 1d2, then it works. An ordinary stake might match say, a dagger, which is 1d4, which is good enough. Still pretty low.

High piercing damage weapons are usually the result of the protrusion being longer and larger. Anything hooked results in slashing damage. Anything bulbous and weighted results in bludgeoning damage. Not much else to it.

Maybe for piercing the heart, catching the vampire flatfooted or rendering it helpless actually helps for this purpose - but for nothing else.

If the tool isn't long or larger enough, you can always dig in with it (if you know what I mean). By that logic you could use a scalpel or a toothpick.
The way I see it, most of the damage from Morningstars is from the bludgeoning. The spikes simply arn't big enough.
Also, it's hard to be precise enough with a morningstar to pierce the heart. You really wield it like a mace with some extra bits on it. It's the same reason I disallowed spiked chains, you simply can't be precise enough with them.

As for making vamp's weaker, only in the sense of reoccuring antagonists the DM wants to give a nifty escape route to. Within an encounter, this actually makes a vampire stronger. A group of vampires, or a vampire with other allies, can get knocked into negatives, then his allies protect him while he heals up. PC's need to spend extra rounds staking the vamps.

Lord Vukodlak
2010-03-24, 01:54 PM
Add in sunlight vulnerability, which should give something like 300% damage from holy/light sources.

Umm no, searing light and similar magic already have stated effects against vampires and other light vulnerable enemies. For example a Vampire takes 1d8/level from searing light instead of 1d6/2. I was simply saying that searing light could be used to finish off a vampire using my slaying rules.


Now I've used my slaying rules for a while now and it really doesn't make them weaker, the gaseous form thing standard vamps do isn't much of a strength. Its actually a weakness. A creature in gaseous form can't run, it can only fly in a vampire's cast a speed of 20ft. The vampire then has only two hours to return to its coffin, so basically if a vampire is killed just a few miles form its coffin. Its dead.

And while it takes a coup de grace to stake a vampire is much simpler to remove the stake. Which for my vampires revives them.

Ever seen the expression on a group of PC's faces when they stake a room full of vampires and have another use telekinesses to hurl those stakes at the party which also awakens his friends?

Priceless!