Dominate Person limit for vampires?

Darklone

Registered User
Is a vampire or vampire spawn limited in how many people he can dominate at once (similar to his spawn limit or is the ability useable only a limited number of times per day)?

The SRD looks to me as if there would be no such limit...

Edit: And yes, I can imagine funny situations when a vampire controls 5 people at once and gives commands to one and all react...
 
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As written, there is no limit.

It would be interesting to have a vampire BBEG who has to tune out once in a while to issue commands or receive information, and who would stop in the middle of beating up on the PCs to yell, "No, you fool - not now! I'm busy!"

And coincidentally, I do actually have a vampire BBEG, so... :D
 


Darklone said:
Is a vampire or vampire spawn limited in how many people he can dominate at once?
Limited by:

Its appetite:
Being chaotic evil: Not the best alignment for commanders, they tend to be slaves to their drinking problem.
How smart it is: does it understand the limitations of its dominate ability? If so then its not going to have too may squeamish lawful goods in its living service. [the BS bit in dominate about getting new saves when forced to take actions against its nature.]

VAMPIRE
Dominate (Su): A vampire can crush an opponent’s will just by looking onto his or her eyes. This is similar to a gaze attack, except that the vampire must use a standard action, and those merely looking at it are not affected. Anyone the vampire targets must succeed on a Will save or fall instantly under the vampire’s influence as though by a dominate person spell (caster level 12th). The ability has a range of 30 feet.
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +6, Dex +4, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +4. As an undead creature, a vampire has no Constitution score.
Skills: Vampires have a +8 racial bonus on Bluff, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks.

VAMPIRE SPAWN
Skills: Bluff +6, Climb +8, Craft or Profession (any one) +4, Diplomacy +4, Hide +10, Jump +8, Listen +11, Move Silently +10, Search +8, Sense Motive +11, Spot +11
Domination (Su): A vampire spawn can crush an opponent’s will just by looking onto his or her eyes. This is similar to a gaze attack, except that the vampire must take a standard action, and those merely looking at it are not affected. Anyone the vampire targets must succeed on a DC 14 Will save or fall instantly under the vampire’s influence as though by a dominate person spell from a 5thlevel caster. The ability has a range of 30 feet. The save DC is Charisma-based.


Dominate Person
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Brd 4, Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One humanoid
Duration: One day/level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
You can control the actions of any humanoid creature through a telepathic link that you establish with the subject’s mind.
If you and the subject have a common language, you can generally force the subject to perform as you desire, within the limits of its abilities. If no common language exists, you can communicate only basic commands, such as “Come here,” “Go there,” “Fight,” and “Stand still.” You know what the subject is experiencing, but you do not receive direct sensory input from it, nor can it communicate with you telepathically.
Once you have given a dominated creature a command, it continues to attempt to carry out that command to the exclusion of all other activities except those necessary for day-to-day survival (such as sleeping, eating, and so forth). Because of this limited range of activity, a Sense Motive check against DC 15 (rather than DC 25) can determine that the subject’s behavior is being influenced by an enchantment effect (see the Sense Motive skill description).
Changing your instructions or giving a dominated creature a new command is the equivalent of redirecting a spell, so it is a move action.
By concentrating fully on the spell (a standard action), you can receive full sensory input as interpreted by the mind of the subject, though it still can’t communicate with you. You can’t actually see through the subject’s eyes, so it’s not as good as being there yourself, but you still get a good idea of what’s going on.
Subjects resist this control, and any subject forced to take actions against its nature receives a new saving throw with a +2 bonus. Obviously self-destructive orders are not carried out. Once control is established, the range at which it can be exercised is unlimited, as long as you and the subject are on the same plane. You need not see the subject to control it.
If you don’t spend at least 1 round concentrating on the spell each day, the subject receives a new saving throw to throw off the domination.
Protection from evil or a similar spell can prevent you from exercising control or using the telepathic link while the subject is so warded, but such an effect neither prevents the establishment of domination nor dispels it.

STARVATION AND THIRST
Characters might find themselves without food or water and with no means to obtain them. In normal climates, Medium characters need at least a gallon of fluids and about a pound of decent food per day to avoid starvation. (Small characters need half as much.) In very hot climates, characters need two or three times as much water to avoid dehydration.
A character can go without water for 1 day plus a number of hours equal to his Constitution score. After this time, the character must make a Constitution check each hour (DC 10, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage.
A character can go without food for 3 days, in growing discomfort. After this time, the character must make a Constitution check each day (DC 10, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage.
Characters who have taken nonlethal damage from lack of food or water are fatigued. Nonlethal damage from thirst or starvation cannot be recovered until the character gets food or water, as needed—not even magic that restores hit points heals this damage.
 

Thanks, I read that. In the case at hand, a friend DM fields a 4HD sorcerer vampire (yeah, it should be a vampire spawn, he might yet change it) against his level 5 group... 3 fightertypes and one cleric.

Two of the fighters had already been dominated, but the cleric has them in his prot circle atm.

Soo looks like a vampire can wreck a lot of fun without any problems... Dang, I would have loved to see better "thirst" rules for the vampires.
 

For vampires i suggest they are always "dying" of thirst at half speed due to sleeping during the day. if thay are active for 2 nights and don't drink half a gallon of "fluid" during each, then the next night they suffer 1d6 real unhealable damage per 2 hours of activity and their Int and Cha checks suffer -1 for each d6 of hunger damage untill they sate thier thirst. I use a lot of vampire variants so some get thirsty faster than others.
 
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Hmm... in my games, I use the Kalamar vampire "variant".... this is a buddys game. He didn't say anything about his houserules (if there are any).
 

Darklone said:
Hmm... in my games, I use the Kalamar vampire "variant".... this is a buddys game. He didn't say anything about his houserules (if there are any).


It still sounds as if your buddy DM is nicer than I am. I have the "crushing your will" part of the vampires dominate ability supercede any spell description that indicates otherwise.

Besides, what is the problem for your party? They are protected against the dominate. Have them close as a group or have them attack from range. As long as the cleric is careful not to force the "barrier" aginst the vampire and the fighters are careful to stay within, all will be OK. Make it go gaseous, then hopefully track it back to its lair/coffin. Just hope it isn't the Nosferatu variant from Ravenloft.
 

Doesn't matter. Even if he builds it as a Vampire Spawn sor4 (scorching ray ;)), she might easily kill the whole party (melee dudes) since two are dominated and can't close to melee combat. Hit & Run tactics can't be countered by a party sticking together in a magic circle.
 

As long as the cleric is careful not to force the "barrier" aginst the vampire

I believe the cleric, comrades, circle and all, can swing away at said vampire without fear of losing the circle. Be sure your friends bone up on the "ready action" and watch out for grappling/dragging - assuming, of course, the enemy does not simply wait them out (circle spell duration ~50m?).

PHB.p.266
The protection
against contact by summoned creatures
ends if the warded creature makes an
attack against or tries to force the barrier
against the blocked creature.

(I read the "blocked" creature to be the summoned creature - not the dominating wizard/vampire/other - unless they are summoned of course; Even then, the protection that ends is only the "bodily contact" clause - not the "execise mental control" clause)

As far as "hit and run" are concerned, agreed - the tight formation makes it difficult to swarm the caster as normal. However, assuming missile weapons at hand and a cleric close by with a spontaneous spell or three, they have a chance - if the cleric has some fire resist magic and uses it on himself (otherwise your supposition re 3x4d6 rays vs cleric touch AC stands). I wonder if the fighters can ready actions to "jump in the way" of the ray - effectively giving the priest better cover...

~D
 

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