Repelling a Vampire

[Captain Anonymous]

my party is currently deep in a vampire sub-plot, and well frankly we're in way over our heads. So I'm looking over the vampire weaknesses, and under Repelling a Vampire it had this little bit

...A recoiling vampire must stay at least 5ft away from a creature holding the mirror or holy symbol and cannot touch or make melee attacks aganist the creature holding the item for the duration of the encounter . Holding a vampire at bay takes a standard action

so would my understanding be correct that I invest one standard action on round 1, and the vamp can't touch me for the rest of the encounter and I can use my future standard actions to attack it/cast spells? or would the more logical be true that I have to use a standard action every round to keep it ay bay?

 

[shilsen]

You have to use a standard action every round.

 

[MrWildman]

Yeah, it looks like a standard action would be required every round. Think of it as properly "brandishing" the item "We are strong in Pelor's Light!". If you don't spend a standard action doing something with it, it's just idly held between the fingers, powerless.
Any vampire worth her fangs would have at least one "standing policy" understood by all her minions, spelling out how to deal with such objects. Even "Shiny=smash!" for teaching the less, ahem, refined followers.
Remember, also, that the "creature holding the item" could change from round to round, if one of your party members decide they need the protection more than you!

Peace.