The vampire starts with just 2 healing surges

[Incenjucar]

Giving Vampires Durable for free really is probably the best option - I'm still convinced that they gave them such low surges BECAUSE Durable exists, while forgetting that you can give a class free feats as part of the class design (works for the melee ranger).

As for flexibility, I would be tempted to pity vampire players enough to give them access to a theme if nobody else does, and a second theme if themes are already part of the game, just so that they have some choices.

Veiled Alliance/Athasian Minstrel vampire would be pretty sweet.

 

[Iron Sky]

Tattoo of the Penitent Martyr + Vampires = Win - assuming they have daily powers that is...(haven't seen the class, so dunno).

 

[gyor]

Your assumption that Incenjucar and myself do not is equally frustrating, especially when you know nothing about the games we do actually run (though mine are posted on this forum). My point is that I will not change the way I design the game, because Wizards introduces poorly thought through and designed elements into 4E. I'll balance my games by what actually works - not account for trap options. Instead of banning trap options, I will manually fix them myself (the beauty of being the DM) so they are on the same level as everyone else.

Vryloka get a +2 to surge value while bloodied. A powerful benefit in heroic tier, but rapidly tapers off towards later tiers.

Shade ... okay I am lost at what to do here because it really is absolutely terrible. Only a total rewrite of the races mechanics could possibly save it.

Vampire I've decided to just technically hand out durable for free (due to being the feat, it means it can't be taken again. 4 surges seems to work really well for the Vampire from what I've played with it, so I don't think needing to get it again is required).

And with that I'm relatively done. The Vampire with 4 surges is perfectly playable and I think pretty fun (if very limited). The Vryloka are basically already elves with a somewhat situationally weaker racial, but +2 to surge value is a fluffy and interesting perk, while not being out of whack against the Dragonborns constant bonus to his surge value (as an example).

The Shade is easy, just allow them to switch out thier racial power for any shade utility power that they are high enough level for.

 

[WalterKovacs]

Sorry for the necro, but seeing as now that it's in the builder, I had to at least try to put together a ShadePire

Anyway, found the item that is perfect for vampires ...

Belt of Raging Endurance. A 9th level belt, gives an extra surge, and an encounter interupt to get resist 15 against a single attack, but you have to take 10 damage at the end of your next turn. So, gain a surge, reduce damage on an attack that could drop you, and don't take the extra damage until AFTER you've gotten your regen, and an opportunity to give yourself thp via one of your at-wills. I know what I'm buying if I get a vampire that starts at level 10 or higher ...

 

[RangerWickett]

I'm fond of my 11th level revenant (dwarf) vampire with disciple of justice, disciple of stone, durable, dwarven durability, and cloak of the walking wounded. Plus that feat that lets me use my dwarven racial power instead of the revenant one.

So when I'm bloodied, I can second wind as a minor action, spend two healing surges, give something like 40 hit points to an adjacent ally, and get 14 temporary hit points for myself.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Actually, the number of healing surges is barely relevant for the vampire. His only concern is staying alive in the encounter without using a single surge. To get his complete life back he just needs a single hit with his claw and us his encounter.
So sugeless healing and abities to resist damage while bloodied, and items that elp wth that are most valuable to the vampire.

Also kep in mind, that you should remember to knock foes unconscious and feast on them after th battle with your encounter power. So in regular circumstances, you don´t have to worry about your absolut nuber of surges.

 

[Incenjucar]

Every class wants to avoid using healing surges, but if they can always do so the DM is failing to challenge the party.

Defeated targets are generally not valid targets for powers that grant benefits, due to the whole "bag of rats" issue.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

This is not a bag of rats issue for me, but here your mileage may vary...

For the vampire it IS reasonable, not to spend a single surge in an encounter. For other classes, the use of a healing word is generally better than the after encounter healing. The vampire likes to go on the pain train... (after level 3, it should be quite easy to leave the battle with excessive surges... if defenders do their job) At level 1-2, every class is very fragile, and a wizard can run through his surges faster than he may like)

 

[Incenjucar]

Due to my personal design aspirations, I make it a habit not to break from the RAW, and it wouldn't be helpful for me to discuss my personal houserules when talking about a design topic anyway.

Additionally, you regain both uses of healing word every five minutes, so unless you're being rushed there's no reason not to use them.

 

[Lostdwarf]

Question- Vampires regenerate, correct? (I don't have a copy of the book, Im asking) Doesn't that mean they never have to spend surges between combats to heal? By the time everyone else had taken a five minute break shouldn't their regeneration have patched them back together? While I do think that I would pick up Durable early in my Vampire career, and would certainly be happy if the leader had a way to do some surgeless healing, between regeneration, Durable, and the ability to add more healing surges over the course of the day I think a vampire would be more or less ok.