D&D 5E (2014) Stake to the Heart!

[Agamon]

But if you're doing an entire "Buffy" campaign where every other week the PCs are going to be fighting vampires, you really don't want to give the group a near-trivial way to take out those creatures.

If I'm doing a Buffy-style game, I probably do want a way for the PCs to take out vampires trivially, just the Buffy and the Scooby gang did. You just don't want the Big Bad to be taken out like that.

Conversely, if I'm doing a rare vampire encounter in a regular D&D game, it puts a damper on the encounter if it's taken out quickly. Than again, I like when players come up with cool ideas to overcome challenges, so I wouldn't have a real problem with it.

 

[Nebulous]

For me, it depends on one question: how often do you intend to use vampires?

Because if this is going to be one of very, very few encounters with vampires in the course of the campaign, I'd let it run exactly as you described. It's clever use of teamwork, and should be rewarded.

But if you're doing an entire "Buffy" campaign where every other week the PCs are going to be fighting vampires, you really don't want to give the group a near-trivial way to take out those creatures.

(In the latter case, I would rule that a vampire can be staked in this manner but only when incapacitated in its coffin (or bed, or similar). And then I'm make sure that every Vampire had such a location designated. Which is, after all, what this bit of text is supposed to be emulating - the classic approach staking of the vampire while he sleeps away the day.)

Hmm. But aren't vampire spawn in any vampire-infested movie or show usually very trivial to kill? Maybe it is cliche (well, yeah, it is) but those suckers (heh heh) die and disintegrate from a blow to the heart area almost instantly. Over and over and over. The bosses are usually the tough ones to kill.

 

[Hand of Evil]

As long as this a Buffy game; no problem. Some ideas, has CR/Level goes up for the you may want to create immunities and add abilities to the vampires.

 

[delericho]

If I'm doing a Buffy-style game, I probably do want a way for the PCs to take out vampires trivially, just the Buffy and the Scooby gang did. You just don't want the Big Bad to be taken out like that.

Hmm. But aren't vampire spawn in any vampire-infested movie or show usually very trivial to kill?

Yes indeed. But bear in mind that your "Big Bad" vampire has the exact same weakness, which means players will expect the exact same trick to work.

So, if I were doing a "Buffy" style game I would (at the least) impose a hit point threshold on that stun-and-stab trick - high enough that it works on the mooks, but low enough that the Big Bads aren't trivially dealt with.

 

[Nebulous]

Yes indeed. But bear in mind that your "Big Bad" vampire has the exact same weakness, which means players will expect the exact same trick to work.

So, if I were doing a "Buffy" style game I would (at the least) impose a hit point threshold on that stun-and-stab trick - high enough that it works on the mooks, but low enough that the Big Bads aren't trivially dealt with.

Well, I distinctly remember in the original Fright Night (pic above), Jerry Dandridge was the BBEG and he not only grabs a cross from someone with weak faith, he also survives a stake blow to the chest. The stake hurts him, but it's not an insta-kill.

 

[delericho]

Well, I distinctly remember in the original Fright Night (pic above), Jerry Dandridge was the BBEG and he not only grabs a cross from someone with weak faith, he also survives a stake blow to the chest. The stake hurts him, but it's not an insta-kill.

You mistake me: the D&D Vampire has the same weakness* as the Vampire Spawn, so if stun-and-stab works on the spawn, players will expect it to work the same way on the Big Bad.

* Okay, it's not exactly the same weakness - the Vampire is paralysed while the Spawn is destroyed outright. But the reality is that against a murderous group of PCs, long-lasting paralysis effectively is destroyed in 99%+ of cases.

 

[Nebulous]

You mistake me: the D&D Vampire has the same weakness* as the Vampire Spawn, so if stun-and-stab works on the spawn, players will expect it to work the same way on the Big Bad.

* Okay, it's not exactly the same weakness - the Vampire is paralysed while the Spawn is destroyed outright. But the reality is that against a murderous group of PCs, long-lasting paralysis effectively is destroyed in 99%+ of cases.

Well, yes, I do think we are in agreement

 

[BigVanVader]

You know, you would think that more vampires would wear armor. Or at least breastplates. Have the BBEG be a Vampire Paladin or something, and rule that they can't get to his heart for as long as he's wearing his armor.

 

[jodyjohnson]

If a group were using the Lingering Wound rules than I would allow 'staking' under the same requirements.
1. On a critical (which is automatic against a Helpless target)
2. When hitting O hp.
3. On a mega-failed Death save (not applying to Vampires).
The provision being that your group is playing HP as mojo (stamina, grit, luck, morale) and serious physical injuries only occur at 0 hp.

 

[77IM]

I would interpret "resting place" to mean "not a place where you are running around fighting people, more of a place where you lay down and rest."

Now if you knocked the spawn prone and then stunned them, I'd allow it. They are basically coup-de-grace fodder at that point anyway.