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<blockquote data-quote="mmadsen" data-source="post: 272025" data-attributes="member: 1645">Alternatives to Level-Draining SlamThe chief complaint against the D&amp;D Vampire seems to be the level-draining slam.&nbsp; The classic Vampire doesn't seem to &quot;slam&quot; -- be it punch, kick, or backhanded slap -- and it doesn't seem to drain levels (whatever that means to non-meta-gamers) with a touch.The chief strength of the D&amp;D Vampire seems to be that it legitimately scares the players.&nbsp; They lose hit points all the time, but they magically heal them without a second thought.&nbsp; Level drain, on the other hand, scares them.&nbsp; Also, Dominate takes the player's control away, and that's scary.So, how can we take what we like about the Vampire and discard what we don't like?&nbsp; What are our alternatives to the level-draining slam?The most obvious fix is to make the level-draining come from the Vampire's bite.&nbsp; Even if level-draining is a heavy-handed mechanic, tying it to the bite fits the Vampire image nicely.If we don't like level-draining, we have other options.&nbsp; Really, anything that isn't easy to heal works, especially if it has some immediate consequences.&nbsp; I've never like the level-drain idea, but I do like Ability Drain, and -2 to all Abilities is roughly the same as a Negative Level, but simpler, an anyone can take four or five such Negative Levels before dying.&nbsp; For some attacks (e.g. Nazgul blade), treating this drain as a disease fits, and it certainly scares the players; the character might die even after surviving the initial attack.Another option is to give the Vampire attacks that simply don't heal.&nbsp; Maybe he uses claws instead of a slam, or maybe his bite does simple hit-point damage, but it doesn't heal.Any other suggestions?</blockquote>

[QUOTE="mmadsen, post: 272025, member: 1645"] [b]Alternatives to Level-Draining Slam[/b] The chief complaint against the D&D Vampire seems to be the level-draining slam. The classic Vampire doesn't seem to "slam" -- be it punch, kick, or backhanded slap -- and it doesn't seem to drain levels (whatever that means to non-meta-gamers) with a touch. The chief strength of the D&D Vampire seems to be that it legitimately scares the players. They lose hit points all the time, but they magically heal them without a second thought. Level drain, on the other hand, scares them. Also, Dominate takes the player's control away, and that's scary. So, how can we take what we like about the Vampire and discard what we don't like? What are our alternatives to the level-draining slam? The most obvious fix is to make the level-draining come from the Vampire's bite. Even if level-draining is a heavy-handed mechanic, tying it to the bite fits the Vampire image nicely. If we don't like level-draining, we have other options. Really, anything that isn't easy to heal works, especially if it has some immediate consequences. I've never like the level-drain idea, but I do like Ability Drain, and -2 to all Abilities is roughly the same as a Negative Level, but simpler, an anyone can take four or five such Negative Levels before dying. For some attacks (e.g. Nazgul blade), treating this drain as a disease fits, and it certainly scares the players; the character might die even after surviving the initial attack. Another option is to give the Vampire attacks that simply don't heal. Maybe he uses claws instead of a slam, or maybe his bite does simple hit-point damage, but it doesn't heal. Any other suggestions? [/QUOTE]

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