D&D 3E/3.5 3.5- Need help making a Vampire lord

[Naoki00_]

This guy is IMMORTAL, he has had centuries to plot and scheme. Forget "Plan B", this guys Plan X, Plan Y, Plan Z, Plan AA, Plan BB... He has had an endless amount of time to prepare for any encounter. Long before the PCs knew he existed, his network of minions warned him about them and he figured out all of their weaknesses and strengths. With hundreds of years to prepare, even 2-3 levels as a spellcaster can do amazing things.

Imagine just turning invisible for an hour a day, walking around using Detect Thoughts to spy on local merchants and nobles. Your knowledge of their dirty little secrets would be far more frightening to them than any Fireball. Cast Charm or Suggestion on a random person every day for 300 years with a simple command like "Love me and tell everyone how great I am." You would end up being worshiped and treated like a saint.

Stop worrying about silly combat tricks and really think BIG, look at the broad scope of what this character can do long before the PCs ever encounter him...

actually you make a very strong point along with what the others have said and with all the extra bits of vampire lord such as sensing through 10 miles of summoned creatures, I was thinking too much like a combat situation, I'm thinking of a few levels in the black guard with some wizard levels (party is 4 people all level 8)..but I shouldn't have restricted myself to thinking about the encounter alone heh. these players are gonna be in for a real treat, thanks everyone!

 

[Razjah]

You can drag out the encounter too. The Vampire Lord attacks, retreats, changes form, and flees. Then Vampire Spawn attack. When the party enters the forest near the Vampire's Lair- wolves harass the party. None of the fights has been difficult, just burning some HP and spells. Just using up resources.

Make sure the lair has as many advantages for the vampire lord as you can. Choke points that must be squeezed through (then attack the party in the choke point) or traps triggered while squeezing (penalties should affect ability to dodge). If the vampire's base is unaffected by certain terrain- make use of it.

Consider collapsing part of a cave/dungeon/lair on the party. Now they are hurt by the debris, the way is blocked, and the vampire is planning. Tucker's Kobolds is inspiring for this type of work. The vampire can use poisoned arrows on a bow or crossbow to attack the party from a murder hole in the wall. The poison could only affect strength or dex, now the party has enough HP but can't hit or dodge as well.

 

[ksbsnowowl]

For ideas on the machinations of a near-immortal vampire, look at Strahd in Expedition to Castle Ravenloft. Heck, just google for threads about how to run Strahd correctly.

 

[Grogg of the North]

I ran a vampire just recently and made him a bard. It was awesome! Decent attacks, spells, and abilities. I used the subsonics feat so he could bolster his guards without the party realizing it. I also tacked on a bunch of feats from Libris Mortis like Improved Energy Drain (add your Cha to HP lost and that you gain). Besides, it was great hearing the cleric going on about how "We can't let a bard kick our butts again!"

I also gave him a hombrewed cape which I based off of some of the stuff in the Vampire Hunter D books/movies.

 

[Shaghayegh]

I ran a vampire just recently and made him a bard. It was awesome! Decent attacks, spells, and abilities. I used the subsonics feat so he could bolster his guards without the party realizing it. I also tacked on a bunch of feats from Libris Mortis like Improved Energy Drain (add your Cha to HP lost and that you gain). Besides, it was great hearing the cleric going on about how "We can't let a bard kick our butts again!"

I also gave him a hombrewed cape which I based off of some of the stuff in the Vampire Hunter D books/movies.

A vampiric bard should make the seductive/hypnotic vampire thing really work to maximum effect. Go big on using your musical audience as a source of power and wealth, charm them into giving you money, sex, free services, information, et cetera...

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Vampire Bard? Lestat?

 

[Grogg of the North]

When getting ready for that session, I was watching a lot of movies to try and find inspiration. I eventually borrowed heavily from Vampire Hunter D and its sequel. I wanted a decent fighter, the ability to vanish and reappear (Dim. Door) and a few other things. Bard had everything I wanted. I played him up as this absent lord that hadn't been seen by the populace in years.

 

[gamerprinter]

I've been thinking about building a vampire lord, as the power behind an urban criminal organization, with spawn among the lieutenants, but most of the organization doesn't realize they are vampires - some might suspect, but not something they talk about. Because of a vampires powers of mind control, I've never seen them as a dungeon denizen, rather a power broker in a network or organization.

As a useful tool, I built the criminal organization using the Yakuza Gang Creation rules at d20pfsrd.com, although designed for a Pathfinder setting they aren't PF specific and can easily work in a 3x game, the rules create a gang stat block, determining alignment, members of the upper command, the gang's honor, lore, morale and society, specific criminal activities - it's a comprehensive tool to help you design a criminal syndicate.

Since you aren't designing a full caster vampire, and not fighty one, that leaves only stealth based and social interaction classes which seem to fit well in a crime organization concept. At least its the direction I'm going with mine. Bard would be a good choice, but mine will probably be a PF archetype or an archetype of one of the other PF classes.