The vampire starts with just 2 healing surges

[Neverfate]

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Vampire)

Linked article ^.

New article for Design and Development.

 

[Aegeri]

Vampire shades would hilariously have 1 surge, unless the number is absolutely fixed and not subject to any modifiers.

 

[Dice4Hire]

Good article.

I won't go into the whole hit point stuff and such as it is an old argument, but the idea of bloodsucking a monster enough to get a HS does not sit well with me, unless the monster is at least bloodied, or even better unconscious. But that is a big restriction.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Vampire shades would hilariously have 1 surge, unless the number is absolutely fixed and not subject to any modifiers.

you know that could be a blessing, at level 3 you can suck 2 surges during a fight, then during the short rest lose the surges over max to heal to full...

 

[Incenjucar]

you know that could be a blessing, at level 3 you can suck 2 surges during a fight, then during the short rest lose the surges over max to heal to full...

Just gotta make sure that you are never ever hit two rounds in a row. Ever.

 

[Kinneus]

Level 1 vampires are going to be hilariously frail.

Last night, my level 18 Hybrid Swordmage/Artifcer with something like 22 Constitution got alpha-striked by basically an entire githyanki army. By the end of the fight, he'd burned 6 surges, 3 after the first round. What would a vampire do in that situation?

I'll tell you what he'd do. He'd die. Hard. And rather hilariously.

Methinks this is a bigger weakness than the designers intended, but I'm willing to withhold judgement until I see it in actual play.

 

[Aegeri]

I don't think the Vampire is going to enjoy later levels, where several creatures can tear through around 2 surges worth of healing instantly. Not to mention that enemies with surge draining powers are going to make him really cry.

 

[kaomera]

I don't think the Vampire is going to enjoy later levels, where several creatures can tear through around 2 surges worth of healing instantly. Not to mention that enemies with surge draining powers are going to make him really cry.

I'd think more of the first than the second, as I'd expect surge-draining enemies to worry PCs that don't regen and can't get more surges a bit more... OTOH, the vampire may end up having a reverse "bossy leader" issue, he's going to have to hit before he can get a surge so you can heal him. Attack-granting is pretty win in that situation (assuming he hits).

And I think that's going to be an issue right there. While the regen should help, a vampire that misses two or more rounds in a row (or just one critical round) is going to be in some serious trouble.

 

[Dice4Hire]

Good point. Watching the vampire run around trying not to get hit when he is low on hit points and cannot hit with vampire melee attacks could be amusing.

"I have 5 hit points and no surges left, but I gotta get in MELEE with AND HIT that solo soldier so I can heal. Yeah, right."

 

[Aegeri]

I'd think more of the first than the second, as I'd expect surge-draining enemies to worry PCs that don't regen and can't get more surges a bit more...

Regeneration doesn't function when you're on zero HP and so is pretty irrelevant - believe me without being able to be healed effectively you *will* end up there. Especially when the healer looks at you with 0 surges, there is very little they can do about it with the immense amount of nerfs to surgeless healing in 4E.

Attack-granting is pretty win in that situation (assuming he hits).

So the leader is basically forced to not only grant attacks to him, over say a thief or rogue who might be in a better position - but also make sure they heal them.

While the regen should help, a vampire that misses two or more rounds in a row (or just one critical round) is going to be in some serious trouble.

Or is prevented from being able to attack in the first place - such as stunned, dominated or dazed in a difficult scenario (for example). It's really swingy as a class and I honestly can't see it working very well. There has to be something really great to the vampire to make this structure work.