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D&D 5E Player is playing a Vampire
- Thread starter Darkone
- Start date
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lowkey13
Guest
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Sunseeker
Guest
Er, how? Are you allowing 3PP material? Did you allow them to become a vampire via the MM guidelines? Did you approve of them making a vampire? You'll notice, since I am assuming you are the DM, that I am asking: why did you allow them to be a vampire?
My gut reaction is to say: WARNING! WARNING! DANGER WILL ROBINSON!
Being a vampire is HARD. I've played a vampire before. It can be fun thematically but it's HARD. A lot of people will use it for a quick excuse to get super powerful if a DM is unwilling to be hard about it. Sunlight is as deadly to a vampire as a sword through the chest is to a mortal. There are esoteric rules surrounding what a vampire can do, where they can go and when they can go there. Bloodlust is a real thing, the prospect of starving isn't like going hungry for a day for a human, it means a very real threat of losing your mind forever.
My gut reaction is to say: WARNING! WARNING! DANGER WILL ROBINSON!
Being a vampire is HARD. I've played a vampire before. It can be fun thematically but it's HARD. A lot of people will use it for a quick excuse to get super powerful if a DM is unwilling to be hard about it. Sunlight is as deadly to a vampire as a sword through the chest is to a mortal. There are esoteric rules surrounding what a vampire can do, where they can go and when they can go there. Bloodlust is a real thing, the prospect of starving isn't like going hungry for a day for a human, it means a very real threat of losing your mind forever.
Oofta
Legend
Burn it with fire? Sunlight? A stake through the heart? Kill them and have them resurrected as a normal human?
In all seriousness, if you're the DM you are expected to and should set limits on your characters. Personally I would never, ever, allow a vampire in my game.
A vampire has a lot of powers and weaknesses that are going to be difficult to plan around. They can't effectively wander around in daylight but they can create minions and turn into fog, etc. Assuming they have class levels in addition, their effective level is much higher than their class level.
There are game systems out there that are designed to handle this kind of thing, D&D is not one of them. If they insist on playing a vampire, I'd create a new "race" following the rules in the DMG with a basis of a weak vampire. At higher levels they can get standard vampire features in place of feats or class abilities. So for example, they don't have regeneration but can do an attack to bite a humanoid creature to get temp hit points.
Someone out there may have something along these lines, but odds are you're going to be winging it.
But like I said, I would just say "no", unless you're willing and able to home brew your own system.
Good luck!
In all seriousness, if you're the DM you are expected to and should set limits on your characters. Personally I would never, ever, allow a vampire in my game.
A vampire has a lot of powers and weaknesses that are going to be difficult to plan around. They can't effectively wander around in daylight but they can create minions and turn into fog, etc. Assuming they have class levels in addition, their effective level is much higher than their class level.
There are game systems out there that are designed to handle this kind of thing, D&D is not one of them. If they insist on playing a vampire, I'd create a new "race" following the rules in the DMG with a basis of a weak vampire. At higher levels they can get standard vampire features in place of feats or class abilities. So for example, they don't have regeneration but can do an attack to bite a humanoid creature to get temp hit points.
Someone out there may have something along these lines, but odds are you're going to be winging it.
But like I said, I would just say "no", unless you're willing and able to home brew your own system.
Good luck!
jgsugden
Legend
Agreed with the others: Best option: Don't let the player be a vampire. If the PC becomes a vampire, the PC is dead and the vampire should be an NPC monster run by you (perhaps with occasional suggestions from the player). If the PC is to start out as a vampire, ask them to choose another option.
If you are stuck on the idea of allowing it, then run with it and be prepared for balance issues that will make the game a challenge to keep fun for everyone. An expert DM can keep a vampire PC running in a fun game... I've seen it done... but I don't think an inexperienced or out of practice DM has much of a chance.
If you are stuck on the idea of allowing it, then run with it and be prepared for balance issues that will make the game a challenge to keep fun for everyone. An expert DM can keep a vampire PC running in a fun game... I've seen it done... but I don't think an inexperienced or out of practice DM has much of a chance.
Oofta
Legend
LOL. By the time I was done typing others had posted effectively the same thing. Great minds and all, I guess.
I will echo that if you're just getting into 5E, start with a strict by-the-book approach at first. Consider even limiting people to the core rules at first (no feats, limited classes and races) until you get a better handle for the rules.
I will echo that if you're just getting into 5E, start with a strict by-the-book approach at first. Consider even limiting people to the core rules at first (no feats, limited classes and races) until you get a better handle for the rules.
As a DM, I might allow this if starting out a high level campaign, but the player would have to give me a story reason that I could get excited about. The other characters of the party should be similarly powerful, so we'd not be starting at the usual 1st or 3rd level.
I would recommend that the other players know ahead of time, even if their characters don't. Many times things like this are done in order to have a surprise moment at some point. That tends to backfire and usually doesn't have the desired impact. The problem here is situations where other players want to do something trivial like walk in daylight, and the vampire resists and can offer no good reason why. The other players get annoyed at the seemingly asinine behavior of the player and fun is not had.
I would recommend that the other players know ahead of time, even if their characters don't. Many times things like this are done in order to have a surprise moment at some point. That tends to backfire and usually doesn't have the desired impact. The problem here is situations where other players want to do something trivial like walk in daylight, and the vampire resists and can offer no good reason why. The other players get annoyed at the seemingly asinine behavior of the player and fun is not had.
AverageCitizen
Explorer
For a slightly more optimistic take, roll him exactly like a Dark Elf Warlock (Fey Pact) or maybe a bard and you'll be fine. Reskin all of his spells, etc., to be Vampire-like.
But for real, don't let players play things straight out of the Monster Manual. That is not what it is designed for and it will not work well.
But for real, don't let players play things straight out of the Monster Manual. That is not what it is designed for and it will not work well.
Klaudius Rex
Explorer
Yup.
Same here.
Players are supposed to be player characters....as in use the Players Handbook.
The DM is supposed to be everything else...including, monsters (such as vampires)...as in the Monster Manual.
A vampire is not a player character option found anywhere in the Players Handbook.
If a character ever got bit and turned into a vampire, or contracted lycanthropy and turned into a werewolf, I as DM (the one who is supposed to play those things), would immediately take control of thier character since they are no longer players, they are considered monsters at that point.
Players have tons of cool abilities, feats, and things offered to them without having to move into your territory. If this was a serious campaign, I definitely wouldn't allow it. But if your just coming back to d&d and don't care much about ruining your game with a player vampire on the loose, well sure what the heck, just do it and have fun. Expose him to sunlight or give him a HUGE craving for exotic blood like dragons blood or something, and just learn from this mistake.
It is definitely a mistake.
But it's cool, we all make them, and players naturally want to break the game in cool and interesting ways.
You just gotta decide if you want to play Vampire: The Masquarade or play D&D
Same here.
Players are supposed to be player characters....as in use the Players Handbook.
The DM is supposed to be everything else...including, monsters (such as vampires)...as in the Monster Manual.
A vampire is not a player character option found anywhere in the Players Handbook.
If a character ever got bit and turned into a vampire, or contracted lycanthropy and turned into a werewolf, I as DM (the one who is supposed to play those things), would immediately take control of thier character since they are no longer players, they are considered monsters at that point.
Players have tons of cool abilities, feats, and things offered to them without having to move into your territory. If this was a serious campaign, I definitely wouldn't allow it. But if your just coming back to d&d and don't care much about ruining your game with a player vampire on the loose, well sure what the heck, just do it and have fun. Expose him to sunlight or give him a HUGE craving for exotic blood like dragons blood or something, and just learn from this mistake.
It is definitely a mistake.
But it's cool, we all make them, and players naturally want to break the game in cool and interesting ways.
You just gotta decide if you want to play Vampire: The Masquarade or play D&D
Klaudius Rex
Explorer
Yup.
Same here.
Players are supposed to be player characters....as in use the Players Handbook.
The DM is supposed to be everything else...including, monsters (such as vampires)...as in the Monster Manual.
A vampire is not a player character option found anywhere in the Players Handbook.
If a character ever got bit and turned into a vampire, or contracted lycanthropy and turned into a werewolf, I as DM (the one who is supposed to play those things), would immediately take control of thier character since they are no longer players, they are considered monsters at that point.
Players have tons of cool abilities, feats, and things offered to them without having to move into your territory. If this was a serious campaign, I definitely wouldn't allow it. But if your just coming back to d&d and don't care much about ruining your game with a player vampire on the loose, well sure what the heck, just do it and have fun. Expose him to sunlight or give him a HUGE craving for exotic blood like dragons blood or something, and just learn from this mistake.
It is definitely a mistake.
But it's cool, we all make them, and players naturally want to break the game in cool and interesting ways.
You just gotta decide if you want to play Vampire: The Masquarade or play D&D
Same here.
Players are supposed to be player characters....as in use the Players Handbook.
The DM is supposed to be everything else...including, monsters (such as vampires)...as in the Monster Manual.
A vampire is not a player character option found anywhere in the Players Handbook.
If a character ever got bit and turned into a vampire, or contracted lycanthropy and turned into a werewolf, I as DM (the one who is supposed to play those things), would immediately take control of thier character since they are no longer players, they are considered monsters at that point.
Players have tons of cool abilities, feats, and things offered to them without having to move into your territory. If this was a serious campaign, I definitely wouldn't allow it. But if your just coming back to d&d and don't care much about ruining your game with a player vampire on the loose, well sure what the heck, just do it and have fun. Expose him to sunlight or give him a HUGE craving for exotic blood like dragons blood or something, and just learn from this mistake.
It is definitely a mistake.
But it's cool, we all make them, and players naturally want to break the game in cool and interesting ways.
You just gotta decide if you want to play Vampire: The Masquarade or play D&D
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