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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DaveDash" data-source="post: 6601098" data-attributes="member: 6786202">Assuming standard party - Cleric, Wizard, Fighter, Rogue.Charm is easily dealt with spells like Protection from Evil, Calm Emotions, Dispel Evil and Good, etc etc. It's basically a waste of an action for the Vampire, and if he/she is fighting alone, he/she can't afford to be wasting actions like that on useless spells.The Wizard has numerous tools in his toolkit to lock the Vampire down. Bigby's hand is devastating against Vampires since they (as written) don't have a ranged attack. This is available to the Wizard at level 9. Spells like Sunbeam utterly destroy undead - vampires included - which is available at level 11. In one encounter I used a CR16 BBEG custom vampire, plus a Blackguard Dark Paladin Bodyguard (and some other minions) and sunbeam utterly trivialised that fight.A Fighter with action surge can then carve through the Vampire pitiful AC and hit points like it was butter, especially if the Cleric pops down any radiant based AoE spell to even do a lick of radiant damage. I actually have a Paladin in my group which makes this match-up even more laughable.Truth be told I haven't ran any vampires as written. I've fought against them and they were incredibly pitiful to beat, even with the DM was trying to make the most of their abilities. Their mobility has no synergy with their attacks, since it's all melee, and their charm is too easily ignored, as charm/fear are some of the most easy debuffs to counter in the game.I've ran them buffed, with extra necrotic damage, necrotic bows, etc, so they can actually make use of their mobility. They're a much more interesting challenge to a party that way.Now, CR aside, they are interesting, they have great lore, and their lair effects are just freaky. I am not disputing that.</blockquote>

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