Vampire sailors?

[Jgosse]

I have been thinking of having a ship of vampires as a chalange for my party but not sure how to over come the running water issue. my only idea so far is have the hold filled with dirt .

[Pan151]

Vampires only take damage from getting immeresed in running water. They have no issue with standing on a boat.

[Sith_Happens]

They're also specifically able to ride ships.

[Hand_of_Vecna]

Even following traditional lore, Dracula says sea travel is kosher.

To me the real issue is that a vampire crw seems like a terrible idea just because a vampire ship is going to be really vulnerable during the day. Eh, I suppose aspiring vampire lords have to do something to get rich enough to build gothic castles.

[Bullet06320]

its the sunlight and manning the ship during the daylight that's the issue
vampire lord template may solve that
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mm/20021018a

[Pan151]

To me the real issue is that a vampire crw seems like a terrible idea just because a vampire ship is going to be really vulnerable during the day. Eh, I suppose aspiring vampire lords have to do something to get rich enough to build gothic castles.

No problem there either. If most of the deck is covered, or at least the sailors wear heavy clothing, they will be ok.

That is, of course, disregarding any more exotic solutions, aka permanent Darkness on the ship (which btw would look AWESOME).

[Fouredged Sword]

Or have the ship emanate darkness. I am sure there is a spell like continual flame, but in reverse.

[Sith_Happens]

Or have the ship emanate darkness. I am sure there is a spell like continual flame, but in reverse.

Deeper Darkness is day/level, which is the next best thing, though they'll need a way to see through it normally.

[Scarey Nerd]

Y'all need to read the Vampirates books. Vampire... Pirates. Except they were good guys, sorta. They kept humans on board to feed from (but never kill), the humans were a skeleton crew in the daytime and the Vampires were the crew at night.

[lunar2]

with a crew of vampires, they can easily keep enough dominated humanoids to run a ship during the day.

[Fouredged Sword]

Well, there are magic rigging ropes that cut the crew requirement (and can do so down until one person is required. That one person can be a vampire in a well covered wheel. Or a haunt shifted vampire who possesses the ship. It's not just a vampire ship, the ship is a vampire!

Then they could cast Submerge Ship to keep safe during the day as well. Block the sun with a few hundred feet of water.

[Socratov]

Well, there are magic rigging ropes that cut the crew requirement (and can do so down until one person is required. That one person can be a vampire in a well covered wheel. Or a haunt shifted vampire who possesses the ship. It's not just a vampire ship, the ship is a vampire!

Then they could cast Submerge Ship to keep safe during the day as well. Block the sun with a few hundred feet of water.

and have them gradually resemble sea creatures while retaining a Kraken on a leash?

[Fouredged Sword]

Well, I think there was a mindlfayer vampire template, unless I am getting it confused with the mindflayer lich template.

[Pan151]

Well, I think there was a mindlfayer vampire template, unless I am getting it confused with the mindflayer lich template.

There is a mindflayer vampire (not sure if it's a template or a unique creature, but it doesn't really matter). However, mindflayer vampires are nothing like other vampires - they are essentially savage zombies that constantly seek to eat brains (and blood, of course). Not ideal for a pirate career, at any rate.

[Tiki Snakes]

Well, there are magic rigging ropes that cut the crew requirement (and can do so down until one person is required. That one person can be a vampire in a well covered wheel. Or a haunt shifted vampire who possesses the ship. It's not just a vampire ship, the ship is a vampire!

Then they could cast Submerge Ship to keep safe during the day as well. Block the sun with a few hundred feet of water.

A sumbmergable ship (with or without magic ropes), really does feel pretty cool. And unless we are for some reason constrained to RAW, having the ship itself be Vampiric sounds pretty cool as well. Blood they take by biting is for the crew. Blood spilled on deck...is for Her.

I like it. I like it a lot. Oh, wait, I was confusing my vampires. Doesn't D&D have weird, water soluble Vampires? Yeah, that kind of makes the submergable bit a little risky.

You could have the Vampire Pirate Ship (Which may or may not be a Vampire Ship itself) be of the Jules Verne variety and have Vampire Submariners?

More simply, an enthralled crew for in the day also works fine.

[Bakeru]

I like it. I like it a lot. Oh, wait, I was confusing my vampires. Doesn't D&D have weird, water soluble Vampires? Yeah, that kind of makes the submergable bit a little risky.
All interior spaces of the ship remain dry even if a doorway or porthole is open while the ship is underwater. Any creature aboard the ship when the spell is cast can move about the ship with ease (including climbing and jumping) as if it were afloat on a calm sea. Such creatures can breathe water for the duration of the spell as long as they remain within 10 feet of the ship.Vampire Lords are immune to running water, and the rest of the crew can stay safely inside.

[Xaktsaroth]

Vampires are damaged by immerson in water, but not if they have the aquatic subtype, which appears to be a special exception to that rule and for the life of me, I can not remember where I read that, but it was a 3.5 DnD book. 0_o.

The Aquatic template from Stormwrack is +0 LA, and gives the type, with a -2 Dex hit. So that solves the water problem.

Grab a Psychoactive Skin (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/universalItems.htm#psychoactiveSkins). Since it covers you and your gear completely, your totally fine.....unless a jerk hits you with a targetted dispel magic, which causes it to fold up on you. Goggles of the Day(Libris Mortis) will extend your movement options when exposed to light, and the Endure Sunlight(Libris Mortis) will allow you multiple rounds of "lol sunlight" before you get into trouble.

Or, you can skip all that mess and +8 LA, and make a Evolved Undead Necropolitan Half-Vampire(All Libris Mortis) for +3 LA, and grab the Vampire Teeth Graft(Li...well, you know) to complete the illusion. Screw sunshine!

I like this option more, as you can flip out Necropolitan and Half-Vampire for Gravetouched Ghoul for "savage" vampires, or vampirc shock troopers.

Hope that helps!

[HaikenEdge]

I'd suggest 10 levels of Shadow Sun Ninja as a way to become a vampire immune to sunlight, and the Water Heritage feat to get a Swim Speed, and thus immune to water.

[Fouredged Sword]

I also like the idea of a mixed crew. A vampire lord captain, a ghoul first quartermaster, a skeleton crew, and a lich spellcaster who has the ship as a phylanctry.

[Eldonauran]

Vampires are damaged by immerson in water, but not if they have the aquatic subtype, which appears to be a special exception to that rule and for the life of me, I can not remember where I read that, but it was a 3.5 DnD book. 0_o.

The Aquatic template from Stormwrack is +0 LA, and gives the type, with a -2 Dex hit. So that solves the water problem.

That little caveat is hidden carefully under the 'speed' section of the vampire template, though its not the aquatic type that specifically does it. Its the acquisition of a swim speed one the base creature that renders a vampire immune to the weakness to running water.

RAW: Gaining a swim speed as a vampire doesn't help. You have to possess it before becoming one. I'd still allow it as a DM, either way.


Speed: Same as the base creature. If the base creature has a swim speed, the vampire retains the ability to swim and is not vulnerable to immersion in running water (see below). (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/vampire.htm)

[Fouredged Sword]

So every vampire out there equips their favored spawn with an item that grants a swim speed before turning them... Even if they don't retain the swim speed after they take the item off, it reads like they keep the immunity to water.

I like the idea of a submersible ship. Sharks in the water and all that.

[Jgosse]

I relay like the submersible ship Idea myself. the image of the ship erupting out of the water at sunset seems quite fitting.

[Xaktsaroth]

That little caveat is hidden carefully under the 'speed' section of the vampire template, though its not the aquatic type that specifically does it. Its the acquisition of a swim speed one the base creature that renders a vampire immune to the weakness to running water.

RAW: Gaining a swim speed as a vampire doesn't help. You have to possess it before becoming one. I'd still allow it as a DM, either way.

Sweet. Knew I read it somewhere. Thanks. :D


I'd suggest 10 levels of Shadow Sun Ninja as a way to become a vampire immune to sunlight, and the Water Heritage feat to get a Swim Speed, and thus immune to water.

Wait. Other PrC's that grant templates give them at +0 LA. I know the vampire template is thrown out as a punishment, but if there's room for evil in your game, does that mean a free +8 LA template? :smallconfused:

If so, Neat! :D

[Invader]

You could just ignore the goofy vampire/water rules completely because they're dumb and not needed.

[Eldonauran]

So every vampire out there equips their favored spawn with an item that grants a swim speed before turning them... Even if they don't retain the swim speed after they take the item off, it reads like they keep the immunity to water.

:smallconfused: Ehhh... I don't know how that would work with RAW. I know as a DM, I would frown at those antics. Better to just give them the aquatic template before the vampire template and call it good.


I like the idea of a submersible ship. Sharks in the water and all that.

This is an awesome idea and it should be done.


Sweet. Knew I read it somewhere. Thanks. :D

Anytime.

[HaikenEdge]

Wait. Other PrC's that grant templates give them at +0 LA. I know the vampire template is thrown out as a punishment, but if there's room for evil in your game, does that mean a free +8 LA template? :smallconfused:

If so, Neat! :D

To be fair, the book explicitly states the character becomes an NPC, but since this was asking about a vampire to challenge the party, it seemed like it didn't matter.

Also, I can't resist the idea of a Shadow Sun Ninja Pirate Vampire.

[lunar2]

To be fair, the book explicitly states the character becomes an NPC, but since this was asking about a vampire to challenge the party, it seemed like it didn't matter.

Also, I can't resist the idea of a Shadow Sun Ninja Pirate Vampire.

you mean ninja pirate vampire warforged? (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NinjaPirateZombieRobot)

[HunterOfJello]

All you have to do is make them all members of races that have natural swim speeds and give them all the levels in the Savage Species Progression Vampire Template (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20030824a).

The template on the website gives a caveat about creatures with swim speeds in relation to water.


Most vampires are also unable to cross running water, although they can be carried over it while resting in their coffins or aboard a ship. (A vampire that has a natural swim speed may freely cross running water and is quite comfortable in water of any kind).

Vampires like these are also therefore immune to destruction by running water.

[HaikenEdge]

All you have to do is make them all members of races that have natural swim speeds and give them all the levels in the Savage Species Progression Vampire Template (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20030824a).

The template on the website gives a caveat about creatures with swim speeds in relation to water.



Vampires like these are also therefore immune to destruction by running water.

Or take the Water Heritage feat, which grants a character as swim speed of 20.

[Fouredged Sword]

Well, while we are already stacking on +CR stuff, Sahuagin would make good vampire. Good physical stats and the captain can be very nasty as a four armed mutant sahuagin.

I would put enough character levels on them to make them tough, and put maybe 1 vampire and 3-4 spawn as an encounter.

A sahuagin RHD2 / Swashbuckler 3 / Vampire would be CR 7