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ECL of a vampire
- Thread starter Narzul
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Jeremy
Explorer
Suggestion: Don't use the D&D vampire in a game as a PC in a normal party.
He's too powerful and too restricted at the same time.
Can't enter a house without being invited, can't be exposed to sunlight, can't be immersed in running water, can't be invited to ice cream socials, er waitaminnit.. Nevermind..
ECL is really hard to apply to a vampire, especially when you keep in mind that anything it slays is going to join him in 1d4 days as a slave. Heck, just being undead affords many advantages, not to mention all the 5 bonus feats and 56 skill points..
But how do you play in a game with those restrictions?
You might want to come up with a different kind of vampire to play as a PC.
If you really want to use the vampire template as written in a D&D game as a PC, go read this first and look at every single one of it's abilities on the chart here both to familiarize yourself with little details you missed, and to understand the relative impact of each before playing.
http://www.webspawner.com/users/soldarin/
Best guess I can offer is +10 though I don't know how playable a creature is 10 level levels behind even with all those special abilities. But really, look at all he's got. And look at all his penalties too... The D&D vampire is not well suited as written to be a PC. Maybe make a Buffy or Blade vampire instead.
He's too powerful and too restricted at the same time.
Can't enter a house without being invited, can't be exposed to sunlight, can't be immersed in running water, can't be invited to ice cream socials, er waitaminnit.. Nevermind..
ECL is really hard to apply to a vampire, especially when you keep in mind that anything it slays is going to join him in 1d4 days as a slave. Heck, just being undead affords many advantages, not to mention all the 5 bonus feats and 56 skill points..
But how do you play in a game with those restrictions?
You might want to come up with a different kind of vampire to play as a PC.
If you really want to use the vampire template as written in a D&D game as a PC, go read this first and look at every single one of it's abilities on the chart here both to familiarize yourself with little details you missed, and to understand the relative impact of each before playing.
http://www.webspawner.com/users/soldarin/
Best guess I can offer is +10 though I don't know how playable a creature is 10 level levels behind even with all those special abilities. But really, look at all he's got. And look at all his penalties too... The D&D vampire is not well suited as written to be a PC. Maybe make a Buffy or Blade vampire instead.
This game is all but a normal party...
There is only one player and his character is a neutral evil (currently chaotic evil because of a "Cyric" dagger of Wounding) half-elf fighter5/rogue4/ranger1/assassin2.
He has enough magic items and gold to counter some of the restriction of the vampire template. (He ordered a fortified wagon to contain his well-protected coffin)
He use to be acompanied of a mad elven sorceress (npc), but she's currently under the effect of a temporal stasis.
The setting is FR, playing mostly in the Moonsea region.
He's probably reading this post, so I can't say more.
There is only one player and his character is a neutral evil (currently chaotic evil because of a "Cyric" dagger of Wounding) half-elf fighter5/rogue4/ranger1/assassin2.
He has enough magic items and gold to counter some of the restriction of the vampire template. (He ordered a fortified wagon to contain his well-protected coffin)
He use to be acompanied of a mad elven sorceress (npc), but she's currently under the effect of a temporal stasis.
The setting is FR, playing mostly in the Moonsea region.
He's probably reading this post, so I can't say more.
Jeremy
Explorer
Heh. Maybe I should expound on the great lengths to which the term "normal party" extends for me.
We've got a saying in my group, if there is a height difference of 4' or more between two members of a group of people walking together, it's an adventuring group.
I can't tell you the number of times there has been a halfling, a talking dog, a dragon turtle, and a minotaur in the party at the same time.
I'm just saying, the normal adventuring party that has all kinds of crazy things happening to them and has to travel at a moments notice to far off lands and environs and be ready for any contingency, can't often afford a creature that dies in 12 seconds in sunlight. Much less one that has to have a coffin with him where ever he goes. You ever try to teleport with a dragon turtle in the party? I imagine it'd be quite like having an armored wagon in the party.
We've got a saying in my group, if there is a height difference of 4' or more between two members of a group of people walking together, it's an adventuring group.
I can't tell you the number of times there has been a halfling, a talking dog, a dragon turtle, and a minotaur in the party at the same time.
I'm just saying, the normal adventuring party that has all kinds of crazy things happening to them and has to travel at a moments notice to far off lands and environs and be ready for any contingency, can't often afford a creature that dies in 12 seconds in sunlight. Much less one that has to have a coffin with him where ever he goes.
You ever try to teleport with a dragon turtle in the party? I imagine it'd be quite like having an armored wagon in the party. last year a friend of mien was playing in a campaign setting, where he wanted to be a vampire, but it was simpy to strong. What the DM allowed was for him to be a vampire spawn. Ya I know they are the pawn's or normal vampire's but here me out.
The DM arranged a situation in which the PC's mind was free of its masters control, enabeling him to advance and continue on. I know there is stil restrictions and alot of power behind the template, but it is a better gauge to the party then a full vampire is.
The DM arranged a situation in which the PC's mind was free of its masters control, enabeling him to advance and continue on. I know there is stil restrictions and alot of power behind the template, but it is a better gauge to the party then a full vampire is.
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