The Vampie Class preview

[kaomera]

Ah, good times.

Good times, indeed! I can't give you XP right now, but you're seriously making me want to move to Portland...

OBOT: This is yet another really cool concept that I think I would have a hard time fitting into a game as a DM (and as a player... oh, wait, I never get to play...); or, rather I think I would have had a hard time fitting it in. I've recently had a thought (yes, players, DMs get them too) that I should just stop trying so hard. Of course, this would mean not incorporating the Vampire class into the campaign world such that they're wandering around all over and everyone's cool with that... But I think that if anything the Vampire's a really good choice to try that out on...

 

[Dausuul]

You can't gain benefits from attacking targets that aren't a meaningful threat. There's a whole blurb about the "sack of rats" issue in the core books.

Although, applying "bag of rats" too stringently here creates problems of its own. I mean, if you take an enemy prisoner, you should be able to suck him dry; it's not harder to drink his blood when he's tied up! If you can drain your allies, and your enemies in combat, you ought to be able to drain your enemies out of combat as well.

I would simply rule that you can't "subdue" with Blood Drinker. If you reduce an enemy to zero, that enemy dies. (I'm also inclined to reinstate the "-4 to hit with subduing attacks" rule--don't know why they ever got rid of it.)

 

[666Sinner666]

I like the vampire concept so far. Also, if the number of surges really are that low and death in direct sunlight results in instant *poof* then it may be one of the more Gygaxian(SP?) PC's. Espcially in Dark Sun settings.

There are plenty of options though to get more suges via items and multi-classing though. I can think of two paladin feats that bump your surges on top of durable off the top of my head.

 

[I'm A Banana]

This is pretty sweet.

AND it's a great example of what I heart about Essentials. Tight focus, strong theme, mechanics that push the envelope and reinforce the archetype. Options might be a little harder for the Vamp than for other E-style classes, since it's a brand new class, but I'm never one who needed 200 powers in order to feel like I had options, so I'll probably be fine.

Still not entirely sure about vampire warforged and the like, but y'know, the class is cool enough that I don't give a frig about the weird corner cases. I'd kind of like to play one, and that's the strongest praise I can give a class.

 

[Neverfate]

This is pretty sweet.

AND it's a great example of what I heart about Essentials. Tight focus, strong theme, mechanics that push the envelope and reinforce the archetype. Options might be a little harder for the Vamp than for other E-style classes, since it's a brand new class, but I'm never one who needed 200 powers in order to feel like I had options, so I'll probably be fine.

Still not entirely sure about vampire warforged and the like, but y'know, the class is cool enough that I don't give a frig about the weird corner cases. I'd kind of like to play one, and that's the strongest praise I can give a class.

Just think, if you made this post on the WotC forum you'd be poisoned, stabbed, shot, hung, stretched, disembowled, drawn and quartered.

And then get a textwall of why Vampire Warforged is why Essentials murdered countless children in the world...

 

[Votan]

It'll also get interesting when DMs house rule (as many will, I suspect) that Blood Drinker and Blood Is Life don't work on non-living targets. Vampires fighting constructs or other undead could get real hungry... those feats that give you extra healing surges could be useful for a change.

I dunno, isn't that against the intent of 4E? Kind of like how Rogues can sneak attack Undead?

But I agree that it is a very flavorful class.

 

[Firebeetle]

I like that you can really play a vampire. My oldest daughter is going to love this. She's always wanted to play a vampire.

The cloak as protection is both a bit of a cop-out and very vague. The old school solution is to compromise the cloak sometimes. During combat damage could certainly expose the vampire. A gusty wind could blow it around. Rolling a 1 in combat means it slips, etc.

I also like that painting a miniature for PCs will be easy, just make them very, very pale.

 

[Aegeri]

Can I take my shirt off and sparkle in the sunlight as an epic destiny?

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Assuming the vampire can manage to only heal once per fight, they usually won't lose any surges, since they can gain a surge so easily. Heal once, then steal a surge on your next hit to make up for it. And with such good regen (especially in early heroic), they might not even have to do that much.

They need to end the fight with MORE surges than they have begun with. So even if they use a single surge (and don´t have a second power to steal one) they are not using them efficiently...

 

[SSquirrel]

Vampire implement. Holy symbols. C'mon, vampires walking around using crosses would be great Since they're Dex/Cha I predict lots of Underdark games w/Drow Vampires. Halfling Vampires would be pretty awesome too tho