D&D 5E Vampire v. Ocean: FIGHT!

[Jefe Bergenstein]

It has been decades since I have read the novel "Dracula" by Bram Stoker. However, I believe I recall in that book (or was it somewhere else?) that the undead Count was transported oversea in his coffin, and could only get out of his coffin and disembark onto the English dock at the top of the tide or at the bottom of the tide, when the tidewater was neither rushing up the Thames nor receding down the Thames.

Or did he disembark at Portsmouth or Southampton, on salt water instead of fresh? I forget now.

Dracula left his coffin to prey on the crew of the Demeter during the voyage. In the end, it was just the captain, lashed to the helm to get him to shore. The "running water" is specifically only fresh water rivers/streams. Lakes, swamps, oceans, and polluted rivers/streams don't apply.

Worth noting that Dracula seems to have originated this trait, as its pretty rare in fiction. It doesnt seem to be part of European vampire folklore.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_vampire_traits_in_folklore_and_fiction

 

[Paraxis]

The vampire weakness in the MM isn't that it can't cross running water, it is that it takes damage, can't shape change, and doesn't regenerate while "in" running water. In sounds like submerged or at least standing in, not just going over bridges or jumping/flying over.

 

[Sunseeker]

I would say that the reference to running water refers to fresh water, so salt water wouldn't hinder them. Vampires had to get to America somehow

Well, not being able to cross running water is only limited if they are physically in contact with the water during the crossing. Traveling on a ship is just fine, same as being able to walk over a river on a bridge.

Why don't you make these a different type of vampires that arent effected by water, but are effected by land in the same way? They can use charmed thralls to do their business on land for them.

That's an interesting idea. I'm not sure I'll use it for the typical vampires, but I might use it for their merfolk counterparts.

Dracula left his coffin to prey on the crew of the Demeter during the voyage. In the end, it was just the captain, lashed to the helm to get him to shore. The "running water" is specifically only fresh water rivers/streams. Lakes, swamps, oceans, and polluted rivers/streams don't apply.

Worth noting that Dracula seems to have originated this trait, as its pretty rare in fiction. It doesnt seem to be part of European vampire folklore.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_vampire_traits_in_folklore_and_fiction

Ah! Very interesting, I think I will go ahead and rule it as such. Perhaps vampires will still hold some aversion to taking a dive in the depths since they themselves may not know the rules of their curse, but some of the higher-rank ones will surprise the players!

 

[Morrus]

It has been decades since I have read the novel "Dracula" by Bram Stoker. However, I believe I recall in that book (or was it somewhere else?) that the undead Count was transported oversea in his coffin, and could only get out of his coffin and disembark onto the English dock at the top of the tide or at the bottom of the tide, when the tidewater was neither rushing up the Thames nor receding down the Thames.

Or did he disembark at Portsmouth or Southampton, on salt water instead of fresh? I forget now.

Yeah, Dracula crossed from Europe to England. He landed at Whitby, IIRC.