How do you like your stake?

[Three_Haligonians]

A lot of vampires have shown up in the game we're playing, and since Libris Mortis has nothing to say on the subject, we still have no idea what is involved in staking a vampire.

We have so far house-ruled it that the vampire must be pinned before you can stake it, but we want to know what other people have for house-rules (or RAW if you can find 'em).

Thanks,

J and R from Three Haligonians

 

[Land Outcast]

Getting one pinned might get ugly (mist form, Bite&Drain)

But, what my group decided was: "critical" 19-20, means you hit the heart, exotic weapon

And yes, the first times, when the DM hadn't totally grasped vamps, we pinned and staked...
Then we destroyed them and the wizard followed in gaseous form the vamp, and staked him.

 

[azhrei_fje]

So here's a question. In the RAW, a vamp can't cross running water. Does that include while they're in gaseous form? If so, could a channel be carved into the floor using stone shape, and then a decanter of endless water be used to create "running water" that would keep the vamp confined?

I'm thinking of a "ditch" or "gully" that split, went to both sides of an open area, then connected again on the other side, leaving no gap.

(As DM, I once ran a vampire as lairing in a area where the stone was porous. The coffin had been teleported into an area large enough to contain the coffin, but nothing else. When the party fought him while in the area nearby, he went gaseous and straight through the wall! They spent some time trying to follow him, and eventually did, but it was very suspenseful during the chase!)

 

[Ferret]

I 'd also use control water as the water has to be running.

I'd rule the staking as a crit, either from lucky combat or a coup de grace.

 

[Taryn]

I feel pathetic now... in the game I'm running none of the players has even considered trying to stake a vampire in the middle of combat... lol

 

[Three_Haligonians]

I feel pathetic now... in the game I'm running none of the players has even considered trying to stake a vampire in the middle of combat... lol

Well it can be a hassle trying to track a vampire forced into gaseous form all the time. A way to stake them right from the get go would be useful.

J from Three Haligonians

 

[UltimaGabe]

I feel pathetic now... in the game I'm running none of the players has even considered trying to stake a vampire in the middle of combat... lol

That's how it's been in my campaigns as well, but that's only because there's no rules for doing so. If it was a viable option, that is, if it were possible to do by the rules, my players would definitely do it upon first seeing a vampire. But the way it is, if I were playing, I wouldn't even know how. (Hence this thread.)

 

[azhrei_fje]

I'm a player in an 11th level party of 6 and we're going up against a powerful vampire in the current module. However, my character thinks that this vampire knows something that might benefit my quest, so while I want the vampire destroyed, I won't be allowing the rest of the party to use sunlight or holy water. :\ I don't think they know this yet, though.

Anyway, my problem is how to corner him so that we can chat before the rest of the party just knocks him all the way into gaseous form?

I'm thinking of using find the path to his coffin and stealing he dirt out of it using prestidigitation! Then he'll have to come to me to get the dirt and we can bargain.

With any other kind of monster I would do some non-lethal damage first (say 10-15 points), then use regular damage until it collapses, unconscious. But with a vampire, they can go gaseous at will which makes further attacks useless. And I can't use non-lethal damage against undead anyway. I can't do the "running water" idea, since I don't have control water. How about if I summon a water elemental and tell it to run in circles? Would that be, "running water"?!

As a cleric with access to Elf, Travel, and War, there don't seem to be a lot of choices other than stealing the coffin and/or coffin dirt.

Any ideas?

 

[Coredump]

. How about if I summon a water elemental and tell it to run in circles? Would that be, "running water"?!

Now, THAT is funny.


What people are forgetting, is the above poster used a decanter of endless water, and that gave it the 'running' aspect. Just make a circle that doesn't meet, but overlaps a bit. (as if it will spiral.) put the decanter at one end, and let it go....

Of course, the vamp can just take the decanter....

 

[azhrei_fje]

Now, THAT is funny.

Well, thank-you-very-much. I'll be here all week.

Of course, the vamp can just take the decanter...

Hmm, I don't think so. (I just tried drawing it using text, but that didn't work very well.)

Here's a description of what I would try. Draw a capital "Y" on a piece of paper. Now draw another one, upside down, so that the two upper points meet the corresponding upper points of the first one. Let's say that the stem on both letters "Y" is about 5 feet and the open gap in the center is about 10 feet by 5 feet. The stem on the other end is where the water runs off. If the vampire were in the open area, he wouldn't be allowed to reach across the water and get to the decanter, so the decanter itself would be protected.

As a DM, I would give some points for inventiveness, but I don't think I would allow this to work. Although reading the description of the decanter, it can produce fresh or salt water. Maybe the decanter taps into another plane to get the water from? If so, then the running water in that other plane is directed to the Prime Material and it could still be considered running water. If the decanter actually creates the water, then I would say that it isn't running water. But even that distinction is pretty flimsy.