Vampire ?'s

[DarkJester]

Was flipping through the MM and I have a couple questions regarding vampires:

Can a vampire use it's slam attack during a grapple?

Can a vampire use its slam attack if pinned?

Can a vampire turn into gaseous form while grapple? Pinned?

What happens if your hurt a vampire while it is in gaseous form?

How often does a vampire need to feed, or do they at all?

How do you go about putting a stake through a vampires heart?

 

[Kerrick]

Can a vampire use it's slam attack during a grapple?

Can a vampire use its slam attack if pinned?

Yes. You can make unarmed attacks while in a grapple, and a vampire's slam attack counts as unarmed, IMO.

Can a vampire turn into gaseous form while grapple? Pinned?

I see no reason why not, since it's a silent act of will that requires no movement (as in having the arms free).

What happens if your hurt a vampire while it is in gaseous form?

If you mean reduce it below 0 hp, it just can't resume normal form until it's rested for 8 hours, like normal.

How often does a vampire need to feed, or do they at all?

Sources vary on this, but I'd say at least a half-pint of blood per night. Some vampires need to feed more or less often, but these are the exceptions, not the rule.

How do you go about putting a stake through a vampires heart?

Called shot, -4 to hit. The stake does 1d4 points if it strikes but does not hit the heart.

 

[Dr. Zoom]

Called shot, -4 to hit. The stake does 1d4 points if it strikes but does not hit the heart.

Where are the rules for a called shot?

 

[Mordane76]

We used a modified Grim-N-Gritty, VP/WP system at our table, so we have called shot mechanics built right into our system for such a situation. However, in standard D&D, the norm appears to be -4 to do something with a weapon that requires special finesse or concentration, plus additional modifiers for size/space of object. The heart is about the size of your balled-up fist (in the average person), just a little off-center from your sternum... I'd say -6/-8 is prolly a little better an indicator, after figuring in concentration, size, and location (mostly behind bone, about the size of your hand), but that figure is entirely spiff-ball. -8 is what we have set for vital organs like that at our table.

 

[DM_Matt]

I'd say that you need to grapple and cdg OR a Dm can say that any crit with a stake kills.

 

[Berk]

I always love the good old trusty fog to mud spell. =o) Oh yeah mister vampire!!!! Turn into a gaseous form will ya!! Well fly away as a pile of mud!!!!

 

[kreynolds]

How do you go about putting a stake through a vampires heart?

I'd recommend D20 Modern's rules for this...

Wooden Stake: Wooden weapons that deal piercing damage (such as wooden stakes, arrows, pool cues, spear shafts, and table legs) threaten a critical hit against a vampire on a natural 20 (unless noted otherwise), even though vampires are normally immune to critical hits. A successful critical hit destroys a vampire instantly, turning it to dust.

 

[Dr_Rictus]

Re: Re: Vampire ?'s

I'd recommend D20 Modern's rules for this...

Note that since a coup de grace is automatically a critical, this rule covers that action rather neatly as well.

 

[kreynolds]

Re: Re: Re: Vampire ?'s

Note that since a coup de grace is automatically a critical, this rule covers that action rather neatly as well.

Absolutely. Short. Simple. Sweet. I like.

 

[AuraSeer]

I'd say that you need to grapple and cdg OR a Dm can say that any crit with a stake kills.

You cannot "grapple and CDG," because a CDG requires a helpless opponent. A grappled or pinned opponent is not helpless.

Since the core rules don't provide for called shots, it looks like the clearest solution is to zap the vampire with Halt Undead. That renders him helpless, and you can therefore CDG with the stake. Since it automatically hits, you don't need to worry about the attack breaking the spell.

The d20 Modern ruling is pretty cool, though. I'll probably include that as a house rule for D&D.