D&D 5E 5e Vampire Hunter/Slayer - How would you do it?

[Staccat0]

Maybe I am crazy but ever since I was a kid I've wanted to make a Vampire Slayer character in the vein of Castlevania. I may have an opportunity in the near future.

Part of my thinks that a Ranger/Paladin multi class is the ticket, but I thought it might be fun to throw it out to the world and see if they have any thoughts? In my mind, a vampire hunter is a travelling character with an emphasis on speed/tactics over brute force and some holy elements - but I'm open to whatever.

I know this is a super broad and sol question but I'm bored and things are slow

 

[Kobold Stew]

I'd go with a Ranger/Cleric.

Start with 1 level of Cleric (gives you Wisdom/Char saves). I'd suggest Knowledge domain (for the mindreading at level 6), and to get double proficiency in Religion. Alternately, War domain would work well for more combat-oriented.

Subsequent levels of Cleric and Ranger can be pretty much as you want, but you're working towards Ranger 5/Cleric 8, and then probably onwards with Cleric.

there are good stop points at Ranger 3, 4, and 5 (but coming back eventually), with Undead as your favoured enemy. Colossus Slayer or Horde breaker at level 3.

Any background should work.

Wisdom and Dex would be the main stats. You'd benefit with the Medium Armor Master feat somewhere along the way, too.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

Ranger certainly sounds like what you're going for, but also consider rogue. I wouldn't pick ranger just because it's the class with favored enemy - that's such a minor class feature in 5E. I'd weigh which of the two classes is more your style of "speed/tactics" and pick that one. Then add cleric or paladin (my gut says paladin). Or maybe RP-wise the divine class should come first - it makes sense to me that the character would pick up those skills through formal training, then learn the more gritty abilities of the ranger/rogue on the job.

 

[JackOfAllTirades]

Cleric/Ranger is the obvious choice - mainly because it would work.

I never go with the obvious choice (I'm crazy like that) so I'll suggest something different on general principles: Vengeance Paladin/Favored Soul (Life, Light, or War domain). I'd have a blast playing that.

 

[Psikerlord#]

Id make a custom feat and ask your DM to approve it, or some variant of it. I'm thinking something like Mage Slayer, but Undead Slayer instead.

Maybe: (i) Adv to attack undead in melee, (ii) adv on your saves against undead effects, and (iii) once per short rest bonus action "detect undead" power within 10' per level (undead of higher level than you get a secret cha save to resist).

 

[Kobold Stew]

Ranger certainly sounds like what you're going for, but also consider rogue. I wouldn't pick ranger just because it's the class with favored enemy - that's such a minor class feature in 5E. I'd weigh which of the two classes is more your style of "speed/tactics" and pick that one.

This is completely fair. I chose ranger because of the spells, the synergy with Wisdom, Primeval Awareness (Great for undead hunting!), and the extra attack. but the rogue certainly has other benefits, and a Cleric/rogue would also work.

 

[pming]

Hiya!

How would I do it? Easy...

Me: "Hey, DM, I want to make a vampire-slayer type character, can we do that?"
DM: "Uh, sure. What class were you thinking?"
Me: "I'm thinking maybe a Ranger, or maybe Fighter/Thief multiclass?"
DM: "Ok, lets get brainstorming!"

That's how I would do it.

You are asking to make a very specific, very specialized, very setting-dependent type of character. Simply put, you will need the buy-in from your DM. So work with him/her and that way, no matter what class or race you come up with, the DM will design the campaign around this whole "fighting undead" theme. Well, that is of course, if he/she and everyone else at the table wants to play in that kind of campaign.

If not... then I' afraid that no mater what type of class, feat, race, whatever combo you come up with, it is NOT going to work out the way you want. You'd be the guy dressing up as Darth Vader, going to a costume party where the host said that the theme is Lord of the Rings and to dress appropriately.

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[Herobizkit]

The Belmonts are primarily "Fighters"; their jam is jumping, whipping and hurling things at undead to destroy them. You can do a heck of a lot with Fighter alone, especially if you take the one with all of the fancy "tricks".

If you want to make a speedy hitter, Rogue/Monk will happily fill all of your hitting and speedy needs. If you want to throw in some neat-o magic, Rogue or Monk/Eldritch Knight could be an interesting plan if you want to, for example, charge your whip with fire etc. for more damage.

Paladin/Cleric (War)/Favored Soul seem likely candidates as well, mostly because they're divinely flavored.

But D&D is a fluid creature. A Tempest Cleric could be re-flavored to a heavy-armor, martial-weapon wielding character who summons holy bolts of vengeance to any who strike against him.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Personally, a straight-up Vengeance Paladin would seem to make most sense to me. Possibly with the addition of a (custom) feat to make it just a tad more Hunter-y. The dex focus is easy (there being 0 barrier to dex focus for most melee classes). The Vengeance Channel Divinity options seem great--Vow of Enmity is an accuracy-based alternative to Hunter's Mark, and thus better synergizes with the Paladin's answer to getting extra attacks (that is, getting auto-damage on every hit), and Abjure Enemy seems like a superior alternative to Turn Undead when dealing with individual powerful undead enemies, rather than a horde of them (which is rarely how vampires roll--and when they do, the Conservation of Ninjutsu generally means they're much less dangerous foes.) The Oath spells include Hunter's Mark, which means you always have it prepared in addition to whatever other Paladin spells you want--and eventually you won't really need those first-level slots for Smiting anyway. Plus, the Paladin's extra damage features hit "fiends and undead," which includes vampires, for more damage anyway.

Then, if that doesn't seem enough, you could try for a custom feat--Vampire Slayer, of course. It could grant Turn Undead (with some kind of special bonus against Vampires specifically) as an additional CD option, and also the Ranger's Favored Enemy feature, but exclusively for Vampires. Oh, and of course it could always include a special "Chain Whip" proficiency, that is identical to a regular whip but better damage dice (probably 1d8, but at least 1d6), for that truly Castlevania flavor. I dunno what else one could do for the feat, perhaps some kind of special ritual (or other method) that destroys a vampire's ability to revive after being slain? Individually, none of those benefits really feels worth a feat, but all of them might be a bit strong for a feat--perhaps pick two or three. Just suggestions, either way.

From there, the only other consideration I could possibly think of would be to try to persuade your DM to let you swap Charisma for Wisdom for all your Paladin class features. Then, you'd be a high-Dex, high-Wis holy warrior with a specialty in hunting and destroying vampires.

 

[Corpsetaker]

I would make a Monk/Ranger and ask your DM if it would be okay to make the whip a monk weapon.