Established rules for Vampires?
- Thread starter Romotre
- Start date
Deadguy
First Post
As far as I am aware, there is no official clarification of this matter. As such, I can only suggest that you do as I have done and follow the Hollywood conventions about Vampires (after all, it's where these limitations tend to come from!).
On that basis, a Vampire is only staked when he is inactive (only Buffy added the 'combat' staking!), so get him once you've forced him back into his coffin.
And as for garlic, perhaps treat it as 'Protection from Evil' against a Vampire, though only in respect of actual physical contact (i.e. no protection from mental powers).
Oh yes, I agree - House Rules Forum.
On that basis, a Vampire is only staked when he is inactive (only Buffy added the 'combat' staking!), so get him once you've forced him back into his coffin.
And as for garlic, perhaps treat it as 'Protection from Evil' against a Vampire, though only in respect of actual physical contact (i.e. no protection from mental powers).
Oh yes, I agree - House Rules Forum.
kreynolds
First Post
This is how I handle garlic and stakes: You can stake a vampire with a coup de gras, but that is the only way since there is no such thing as a called shot anymore. You conduct the coup de gras as normal but you don't bother rolling damage, as the stake instantly kills it, as best you can kill it with a stake anyway. A vorpal weapon will instantly cut off its head, allowing you to stake it freely.
Garlic protects you in the same manner as if the vampire had not been invited into your home. Basically, if you wear garlic around your neck, the vampire cannot engage in melee with you. Since they do not give distance rules, I provide a safe area of a 20 foot radius. If you corner the vampire while wearing garlic, it will try to tear the garlic away from you in a panic. This is treated as attacking a worn item and provokes an attack of opportunity. However, the vampire can just as easily make ranged attacks at you.
How does that work for you? If you would like a better explanation or if you have any questions about how I handle this, just let me know.
Garlic protects you in the same manner as if the vampire had not been invited into your home. Basically, if you wear garlic around your neck, the vampire cannot engage in melee with you. Since they do not give distance rules, I provide a safe area of a 20 foot radius. If you corner the vampire while wearing garlic, it will try to tear the garlic away from you in a panic. This is treated as attacking a worn item and provokes an attack of opportunity. However, the vampire can just as easily make ranged attacks at you.
How does that work for you? If you would like a better explanation or if you have any questions about how I handle this, just let me know.
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The Dungeon Magazine module "The Dying of the Light", penned by Chris Doyle had extensive rules regarding combat with vampires, and how you could kill them. I think it was only a variant rule, but I have used it, and I like it.
First off, the module was about the slaying of a vampire heptad, seven powerful vampires living in a castle.. well.. anyway...
You could actually stake a vampire in combat with a wooden stake (or an arrow shaft). In order to do this, you first had to hit the vampire (-4 penalty if you don't have the Wooden Stake exotic weapon proficiency). If you hit, you must succeed in an opposed strength roll. If you succeed, the vampire is staked and is paralyzed.
Now, however, any of the other vampires could easily remove the stake, thereby enabling the staked vampire. The characteres had to decapacitate the vampire's head (coup de grace), and fill it with garlic OR pour holy water into the head.
If they killed a vampire without the stake - decapacitation - holy water thingy, they only turned gaseous and escaped to their coffins.
Thats my take on it.. I can see the point for those who dislike Buffy that you can actually stake them in combat, but I guarantee you, to first hit a vampire with a -4 weapon, and then suceeding an opposed strength roll.. its not easy..
Hope this will be of any help
First off, the module was about the slaying of a vampire heptad, seven powerful vampires living in a castle.. well.. anyway...
You could actually stake a vampire in combat with a wooden stake (or an arrow shaft). In order to do this, you first had to hit the vampire (-4 penalty if you don't have the Wooden Stake exotic weapon proficiency). If you hit, you must succeed in an opposed strength roll. If you succeed, the vampire is staked and is paralyzed.
Now, however, any of the other vampires could easily remove the stake, thereby enabling the staked vampire. The characteres had to decapacitate the vampire's head (coup de grace), and fill it with garlic OR pour holy water into the head.
If they killed a vampire without the stake - decapacitation - holy water thingy, they only turned gaseous and escaped to their coffins.
Thats my take on it.. I can see the point for those who dislike Buffy that you can actually stake them in combat, but I guarantee you, to first hit a vampire with a -4 weapon, and then suceeding an opposed strength roll.. its not easy..
Hope this will be of any help
ruleslawyer
Registered User
The problem that I have with the mechanic in "Dying of the Light" (besides the fact that I think it's a terrible adventure) is that if plunging a sharpened piece of wood into the heart of a vampire (a being with natural armor) just takes an attack roll at -4 and an opposed Strength check, why can't everyone just do this with magical swords and living opponents? My fighter players would love to suck up -4 to attack in exchange for a one-shot kill. Is it a special property of the stake? I don't really see how.
I'd say a CDG will allow use of the stake. Garlic is supposed to act as a complete bar to vampires; I'd say they're automatically forced to remain at least 5' away from garlic buds or surfaces covered with garlic juice.
I'd say a CDG will allow use of the stake. Garlic is supposed to act as a complete bar to vampires; I'd say they're automatically forced to remain at least 5' away from garlic buds or surfaces covered with garlic juice.
CullAfulMoshuN
First Post
My take on this was to allow all wooden weapons to be used with a -4 nonproficient penalty, unless the character actually took an exotic weapon feat in it. Any damage done to a vampire with them would heal instanteously (unless the weapon was otherwise enchanted or did enough damage to bypass their DR, in which case it would heal as per their fast healing). If enough damage is done to drop the vampire to 0 hit points with such a weapon, or if a successful critical hit is rolled with it (as undead they are normally immune) then the vampire is considered staked and is paralyzed, unable to assume gaseous form.
I don't think that this is severely weakening to vampires, the characters would need to badly damage it first anyway and it could always assume gaseous form by choice if badly hurt and threatened with a stake. And as for critical hits, if the PC can successfully roll a critical hit on a vampire in melee combat with a wooden stake, not an easy task with a -4 attack penalty and a threat range of 20, then more power to them.
Other ways to do it is with either a coup de grace, or with a successful attack against a vampire while it is being pinned (Hey I wouldn't want to be the one risking its energy drain attacks to try and grapple it...).
I don't think that this is severely weakening to vampires, the characters would need to badly damage it first anyway and it could always assume gaseous form by choice if badly hurt and threatened with a stake. And as for critical hits, if the PC can successfully roll a critical hit on a vampire in melee combat with a wooden stake, not an easy task with a -4 attack penalty and a threat range of 20, then more power to them.
Other ways to do it is with either a coup de grace, or with a successful attack against a vampire while it is being pinned (Hey I wouldn't want to be the one risking its energy drain attacks to try and grapple it...).
The adventure was hard enough with those rules, I wonder how many TPK it would have been if these rules were not there.
4 10th level characters through that Castle? I had five players, and one died and one was petrified, and the rest had to flee.
CDG a vampire? CDG seven vampires? Yeah, right...
My players had a blast, and I feel it was a great adventure
4 10th level characters through that Castle? I had five players, and one died and one was petrified, and the rest had to flee.
CDG a vampire? CDG seven vampires? Yeah, right...
My players had a blast, and I feel it was a great adventure
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