Evil cleric posing as neutral or even a good cleric

[Brennin Magalus]

"waiting to flame" isn't as accurate as "appalled at the degree of intelligence you're showing"

If anything is appalling in this thread, it is your lack of civility.

 

[Eremite]

Point being the ranger is 14th level with undead as his sole favored enemy and has dedicated his life to tracking, finding and killing undead...He's more than likely going to do something’s successful yes? Checking the pulse was just an example of what I may expect from this player, something just out side of what’s covered in any great detail by the raw.

True but this is where:

1. owning the RAW if you're the DM becomes a critical point (and you don't so your players keep conning you into really silly things); and
2. you need to think through, logically, how they're going to do the things that they're proposing. That's what I did using the example you gave of checking the pulse. The question you have to ask in these circumstances is "how would he check the pulse" and think it through from there. Again, owning the core books is vital if you're going to DM. You need to learn the RAW so you can confidentally rule on issues not specifically covered by the RAW.

In the campaign the party is aware of a divine prophecy saying that an evil Vamp Lord is going to seize power to some? degree and cause mass death & destruction, withen this area.

Well, it's difficult to assist you too much as you keep leaking out bits of extra information that mitigate against advice previously given. Anyway, I can only suggest, as many others have done, that you buy the core rules and start a campaign at 1st level so that you can practise DMing in a less threatening environment particularly as your players seem to have you completely bamboozled.

 

[Piratecat]

"waiting to flame" isn't as accurate as "appalled at the degree of intelligence you're showing"

Elephant, please reread the rules posted at the top of every forum. In particular:

Keep it civil: Don't engage in personal attacks, name-calling, or blanket generalizations in your discussions.

Insulting another member is off-limits. If you don't like someone put them on Ignore, but please don't be rude.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Sir Thorncrest, this is how I'd handle your ranger/undead hunter.

Basicially just use his normal skills (which might be rank 17+ability bonus+favoured enemy bonus).

So attempting to see through the vampires disguise is likely to be +25 (17 ranks +2 Wis? +6 Favoured enemy?). If you want to encourage role playing you can use the "DM's friend" and give him a +2 bonus to this roll if he suggests something that seems reasonable to you (e.g. "I attempt to startle him and check his reflection in the little mirror at the same time, in case he is using an illusion which he doesn't keep perfectly in sync" or whatever).

Remember to apply the -1 per 10ft range to the spot check. The vampire probably gets +10 for using disguising magic (I wonder why the RAW makes it such a small bonus?) and I guess he has maxed out his disguise skill to help him blend in to society.

Alternatively, you could allow the Ranger to use sense motive (again with his +6 from undead enemy) to attempt to notice that something is wrong in an undeady kind of way.

In other words, maximising his favoured enemy as undead would give him +6 on several important investigative skill checks - and that huge +6 bonus reflects the fact that he has concentrated so much on this one particular enemy.

The RAW is your friend here! The favoured enemy bonus and a possible additional +2 circumstance bonus if the player comes up with a good idea; players spot and sense motive skill checks against the vampire lords disguise and bluff.

No worries mate!

Cheers

 

[Slife]

In the campaign the party is aware of a divine prophecy saying that an evil Vamp Lord is going to seize power to some? degree and cause mass death & destruction, withen this area.

Have the disguised Vampire Lord send them against another one. Have him use the prophecy for his own ends. A senator sends the party a messager saying that he has urgent news about the prophicied vampire lord. The senator tells them where he is. If the ranger sees through his disguise, a good excuse would be that the vampire lord had made him into a vampire himself when he tried to kill it, and he hopes to end his curse by getting the vampire lord killed, so nobody would know that he had been vampirized before he was returned to humanity.

 

[Elephant]

Insulting another member is off-limits. If you don't like someone put them on Ignore, but please don't be rude.

Err, sorry. I've never had to put someone on ignore before, and I'm not sure where the option is. Thorncrest has a strange knack for getting under my skin for some reason.

Edit: Found the ignore option

Edit 2: Removed what could be viewed as arguing with P-Cat

 

[Siochain]

""In the campaign the party is aware of a divine prophecy saying that an evil Vamp Lord is going to seize power to some? degree and cause mass death & destruction, withen this area.""


Misdirection again could be your friend. Have the vampire lord "fiddle" with some other major politicians actions, so that a seemingly benign action suddenly causes death, or mayhem...have a history of small boo-boo's for the vampire lords archrival, so that the Vamp can have the PC's guide themselves there.

Now, what if the vampire lord, noble lord of the village that he is, is known to be suffering from a rare and possibly contagious disease. One of his vassals, a blessed paladin immune to this terrible plague, is the one who deals with the PC's. I mean, who wants to catch something nasty? It's an idea that would need some work, but I think it could be flushed out quite nicely

 

[applenerd]

as a side note the ranger with favored enemy undead (maxed out 14th level skills vs undead)is played by a pretty crafty player (marine) I know he will test for pulse & pupil reaction to light (etc.) people he suspects of being undead...the player had mentioned this during creation. How would you pass this test or could you?

The player's first mistake was tipping his hand. This can be fun for you (and the players)! If the vampire lords gets wise to this guy, maybe he can make it look like some other high ranking official is a vampire or whatever. Then see what happens when your player tries to test him or her! The consequences of a false positive like (and don't go light, it should have real consequences) that should make the player more hesitant next time! This allows the vamp to socially engineer a situation where he just goes with the crowd already wanting to distance themselves from this crazy plebeian adventurer!

Plus you could introduce the flip side of that. Some other clergy member who is sympathetic to their cause. "Don't be discouraged, continue your search. I will help when I can but I must leave now. We shouldn't be seen talking here". A little cloak and dagger stuff!

Could be a blast!

 

[Sir ThornCrest]

I can see why I get under your skin....after all I posted a question that isnt covered in RAW how dare I!!!! Then I suggested that the player is a pretty sharp cookie..again how dare I!!!
dont get you panties in a bunch mate!

Thorncrest

Err, sorry. I've never had to put someone on ignore before, and I'm not sure where the option is. Thorncrest has a strange knack for getting under my skin for some reason.

Edit: Found the ignore option

Edit 2: Removed what could be viewed as arguing with P-Cat

 

[IcyCool]

I can see why I get under your skin....after all I posted a question that isnt covered in RAW how dare I!!!! Then I suggested that the player is a pretty sharp cookie..again how dare I!!!
dont get you panties in a bunch mate!

Thorncrest

Thorncrest, he's already been spoken to by a mod, would you please stop baiting him? Or anyone else for that matter?

Ask your questions, and get your answers, but please don't spray gasoline in a room full of smokers.