Hiding Vampirism

[GreyWizard77]

I'm getting ready to start Expedition to Castle Ravenloft and one of my players is considering playing a vampire. I'm a little reluctant due to the undead nature of the module, but I'd like to be open if possible. So far we're trying to settle on the idea that he became a vampire earlier in his adventuring career and is now trying to destroy the head vampire (Strahd) and undo his "curse".

So, since there's a good possibility that one of the players will be a good cleric/Radiant Servant, and the fact that the local NPC's are pretty superstitious and scared witless, is it possible to disguise the fact that he's a vampire? Nighttime in Barovia isn't the best to place, and I would think that the other players would be suspicious if a party member only wanted to travel at night. I'd rather not remove the sunlight vulnerability.

Any thoughts?

 

[Belbarid]

I'm getting ready to start Expedition to Castle Ravenloft and one of my players is considering playing a vampire. I'm a little reluctant due to the undead nature of the module, but I'd like to be open if possible. So far we're trying to settle on the idea that he became a vampire earlier in his adventuring career and is now trying to destroy the head vampire (Strahd) and undo his "curse".

So, since there's a good possibility that one of the players will be a good cleric/Radiant Servant, and the fact that the local NPC's are pretty superstitious and scared witless, is it possible to disguise the fact that he's a vampire? Nighttime in Barovia isn't the best to place, and I would that the other players would be suspicious if a party member only wanted to travel at night. I'd rather not remove the sunlight vulnerability.

Any thoughts?

Yup. Don't go there.

Okay, assuming that you're going to ignore my first thought, I have a few *serious* comments. Questions to ponder, really.

Are you going with the (nonsensical, IMO) 3rd ed notion that all vampires are Chaotic Evil?

Are you willing to live with serious party conflict?

Are you willing to live with a situation where a priest of good ignores a vampire because the player doesn't want to cause conflict?

Are you willing to live with a party full of vampires? 'Cause I'd totally go there if my DM was fool enough to make me a vampire.

Think through a few of these, and I believe your answer will be a bit clearer. Either "Not really an issue because the PC can play a Jander Sunstar kind of vampire. We may have a few tense moments, but all will work out" or "There's no way this is going to work" are the most likely choices, but that doesn't mean that they're the only ones.

To your specific question, I don't see there being anything that can hide something like vampirism from a group that travels and lives as closely as an adventuring group does. It's just going to come out somehow.

 

[Woas]

Can the cleric and vampire characters be friends from the past? Then the cleric would not want to kill the vampire since it is his/her friend but want to help in removing the curse too. Maybe even helping his friend to deal with the terrible pains and afflictions that come with vampirism.

 

[jdrakeh]

There's an option for Vampire Spawn PCs in Libris Mortis, the alignment restriction can be lifted per the rules, and it seems to suit your concept perfectly (in fact, it specifically mentions taking up adventuring to exact revenge and/or serve pennance).

 

[Jason Kain]

There's an option for Vampire Spawn PCs in Libris Mortis, the alignment restriction can be lifted per the rules, and it seems to suit your concept perfectly (in fact, it specifically mentions taking up adventuring to exact revenge and/or serve pennance).

A better solution may be the half-vampire template in the same book. Many vampire powers, no sunlight problems.

 

[Spell]

i would say that you should raise the issues that belbarid asks with your player.

moreover, it's not your problem of how he hides his condition, but his. i think that your work, as a DM is running the adventure smoothly, resolve situations using logic, and presenting the setting to the players.

the vampire player, at this point, should know pretty well what being a vampire PC means, in terms of how the group would react, how the population would, and what it would mean to travel at night.

if he's willing to take his chances, then so be it. to be honest, the situation as you describe it reminds me of some moments in the knights of the dinner table comic. sometimes, the players come out with some crazy, unbalancing, "wrong" idea, but the DM manages to make them great opportunities for interesting role playing, rather than just say: "not in my game!"

the vampire PC seems to be willing to cure his curse, and thinks that killing strahd would result in a return to humanity. this might be true or not, depending on your ruling... but if i was a player in your game, i would be thrilled by the situation! on one hand, you have a victim of the circumstance that is trying hard to get his humanity back; on the other, he is an evil bloodsucker!

that screams great roleplaying opportunities and great gothic horror... but it depends on your players.

one last word: i wouldn't go for the half-vampire or vampire spawn routes. it feels like "cheating", and the whole thing would somewhat lose momentum.

 

[shilsen]

Since earlier posters have hit some of the important story/roleplaying issues, I'll focus on the mechanical. Here's a question - what are you planning to do when the Radiant Servant turns undead and the PC vampire eats a boatload of damage?

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

No.
Just say No.
Vampiric PC's going against Strahd might work with the entire party being vampiric spawn, but not with one lone-wolf hiding from the rest. If I were to run that sort of party, the first thing that Strahd would do is reveal the vampire PC... and then once that PC is destroyed by the party, 'reveal' another PC

However, if the entire party is made of of characters who know of the vampire in thier midsts and want to help it recover its mortal life, I would echo the recommendation to use the Vampire Spawn class progression out of the Libris Mortis, primarily from the viewpoint of keeping the party power levels somewhat close to each other. Using the Vampire Template, with its +8 LA, would mean the PC would be very low level and not be able to survive much...or if you ignore the LA the PC would be overpowered compared to the rest of the party.

This has an additional bite for the player as well. The Vampire Spawn is basically a PrC that requires you to start with at least 5 levels before dying and being raised as a Spawn. This means the Vampire PC would not have all the 'kewl' strengths of a full vampire *and* has a very solid mechanical cost to being 'saved'.
Any Vampire Spawn levels gained would be lost as part of the characters salvation.. meaning the more he/she has invested in it, the less likely the character will want to be saved.
A nice delimna for the player

 

[jdrakeh]

A better solution may be the half-vampire template in the same book. Many vampire powers, no sunlight problems.

Oh! I had forgotten about that. The Vampire Spawn class just came to me off the top of my head, having recently read that section of the book.

 

[prospero63]

I'm getting ready to start Expedition to Castle Ravenloft and one of my players is considering playing a vampire. I'm a little reluctant due to the undead nature of the module, but I'd like to be open if possible. So far we're trying to settle on the idea that he became a vampire earlier in his adventuring career and is now trying to destroy the head vampire (Strahd) and undo his "curse".

So, since there's a good possibility that one of the players will be a good cleric/Radiant Servant, and the fact that the local NPC's are pretty superstitious and scared witless, is it possible to disguise the fact that he's a vampire? Nighttime in Barovia isn't the best to place, and I would that the other players would be suspicious if a party member only wanted to travel at night. I'd rather not remove the sunlight vulnerability.

Any thoughts?

RSoP is pretty much "all undead must be destroyed". I don't see that working, unless you toss the intent behind the class out the window. I'll be dealing with this shortly with someone who is hell bent to bring a necromancer into the party (which currently has a RSoP in the group). I don't see him lasting a single session personally. The first time he raises something, the RSoP is going to destroy it, then him. Given that he's new to the party, I expect the rest of the party to turn it into 7 on 1...