Vampire vs Farmhouse & Grey Render

[ThaDium]

I'm the D&D turned up to 11 guy.

One of my players told me he wanted to see what I'd do with a vampire.

Follow me on the set up; we'll get to the vampire. My PCs are going to come across a Grey Render and an injured man who are being attacked by a pack of wolves near a half dug trench and the carcass of a deer. (The grey render has adopted a nearby farm family, they do that, it's one the monster manual, and was bringing back the deer for them when he encountered one of his adopted humans being threatened by the wolves.)

I assume this will lead to the PCs, grey render and injured, barely conscious farmhand following the heading to the farm together. They'll get to the battered, boarded up farmhouse at dusk and will be rushed into a living room full of livestock. They'll be told to get their horses inside and any valuables off their cart, "Quickly because it's getting dark."

The house is surrounded by a moat of stagnant water and a trench leads to where the farm hand was digging. Another leads to a nearby pond.

The farmers will tell the PCs that they have been terrorized by a vampire for the past two nights but refuse to leave. They're prideful and the nearest village is two days away.

Uninvited, the vampire can't get in, but he has been able to harass them through open windows, which is why the windows are boarded up. They don't know where he's coming from (He's been staying in a cavern within the family's well that he can access in gaseous form.), only that he shows up each night looking for food.

So, that's the set up. Vampire vs. Farmhouse & Grey Render

The vamp is an 8th level dwarf druid. He'll use scry and warp wood to see into the house and will have one of the family members dominated early on in the night. He'll also send some swarms into the house to terrorize people.

His only fear will be the magic silver scimitar one of the PCs has. I figure the dominated family member will try to steal it.

Any one have any other thoughts on what I should do here? ANy clever vampire tricks?

The PCs are:
7th level Dwarf rogue/ranger
7th level Halfling cleric/wizard/mystic theurge
6th level Elf barbarian/druid

Thanks,
ThaDium

 

[Sekhmet]

Dominating the man-of-the-house allows him to invite himself in. He could have done this days ago, but refrained from giving him orders until the time was right, or used it to remove mirrors, garlic, or holy symbols from the house.
He can use his Animal Companion (a bat, dire bat, or dire rat, at least) to scout the inside of the house through the attic, to destroy or locate mirrors, garlic, or holy symbols.

Using his Children of the Night ability to summon wolves or bat swarms he can attack or confuse his opponents. I like the swarms, personally.

 

[anest1s]

You can dominate someone, and no one will know that he is dominated until you give him the first order.

 

[Empath Negative]

When the Grey Render attacks the Vampire... cast an Anti Magic Field around them. Watch as Vampire is brutally raped by Gray Render.

 

[Sekhmet]

[MENTION=20328]Empath[/MENTION] Blood Drain and Fast Healing are Ex, so Gray Render should still lose.

 

[ThaDium]

I'm going with the vamp not yet having had a chance to dominate anyone because otherwise the party would arrive to see a bunch of dead farmers. So, he'll do it during the game but be hesitant to dive in fangs-a-blazing because the party is a new and unknown entity.

Backstory: The vampire has been in the well for a little over a week after trying to kill himself by diving in head first late one night only to awaken a little while later cursed with undeath. He doesn't know the family, he was just wandering by in a deep depression after having failed to prevent a cult from summoning a hydra (macro plot connection). He was overcome with grief when he saw the farm house and decided to reach out for aid. They were awakened by his knocking, but didn't respond our of fear, which put him over the edge. Literally in this case.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Can the Grey Render contract Vampirism? If so, can it's defensive instinct prove stronger than it's vampire instincts?

It would be really neat if at the end of this adventure, there's an even stronger Grey Render defending the family and the farm folk send the adventurers off, pleased as punch.

 

[Sekhmet]

Can the Grey Render contract Vampirism? If so, can it's defensive instinct prove stronger than it's vampire instincts? .

By RAW, Vampirism can be given to humanoids or monstrous humanoids. Gray Renders are magical beasts.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

By RAW, Vampirism can be given to humanoids or monstrous humanoids. Gray Renders are magical beasts.

Hm... gotcha.

So, DM handwaved mutated side effect? Super Grey Render, just a loyal, twice as fierce?

I mean, Vampires bit other types of creatures, the infection still infects, just doesn't always have the same effect.

 

[Empath Negative]

[MENTION=20328]Empath[/MENTION] Blood Drain and Fast Healing are Ex, so Gray Render should still lose.

I didn't say killed by the Gray Render. I said Raped. The Gray Render can grapple the Vampire. The fast healing helps the Vampire but blood drain requires a Pin.

Once the Vamp is pinned or even just grappled all you have to do is walk up and stake the damn thing and game over.