Vampires on a boat (feat. stormwrack)

[atemu1234]

I've made vampire-pirates for a stormwrack series of campaigns. The leader is a vampire-swashbuckler named Calico, and his entire crew is basically 5th-level experts designed to be sailors. He's in control of three master vampire sorcerers who in turn control the crew and a vampire miniature. Any tips?

[OldTrees1]

What?

Similarly, immersing a vampire in running water robs it of one-third of its hit points each round until it is destroyed at the end of the third round of immersion.
Those are some brave vampires. :smallamused:

Perhaps some plans to protect their immortality from the grasp of a watery grave?

[HunterOfJello]

Make them all originally from races that have swim speeds and use the savage species progression version of the vampire that can be found here: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20030824a

It's exactly the same as a MM vampire (iirc) except for a single important caveat:


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 are like cats. They either abhor water or they love swimming in it all day.

[VoxRationis]

I hope for their sake that currents don't count as "running water." Or hell, even tides.

[Psyren]

Aside from the water problem, shade can be pretty hard to find on a boat too. I mean, you can hide out in the cabin all the time, but that just means you're very vulnerable to being boarded, sacked and fired during all daylight hours.

[Piedmon_Sama]

Agreed. They would have to either have to drop anchor during the day, in which case they might as well just be coastal pirates and use galleys or other lateen-rigged vessels, or perhaps they have enslaved mortal 'hands' who keep the ship running on course during daylight hours. Of course, the slaves have a distressing habit of eventually dying from exposure/starvation/sudden blood loss, which forces the vampires to go get more... :D

[HaikenEdge]

Stick 'em on a giant metal "elemental" boat? Like an modern battleship?

[Seerow]

I always figured running water meant like a stream/river, not oceans/seas/lakes.

[Piedmon_Sama]

Alternate solution, they just fill the orlop with soil from their homeland. Now the ship? It's one big coffin!

[Psyren]

I always figured running water meant like a stream/river, not oceans/seas/lakes.

A lake, sure, but the ocean is full of currents and slipstreams, not to mention waves and tides. The motion might be more... oscillatory?... than a river, but it's definitely moving even on the surface.

[Piedmon_Sama]

Also, if the Vampires are fine as long as they don't fall in, than honestly they're not actually much worse off than historical sailors---many of whom could not, in fact, swim.

[MadGreenSon]

Nah. These Vampires should be smart about it, during the day they have a custom magic item with the same effect as the Submerge Ship spell (page 211 SpC) lasting during the daylight hours, which will allow them to avoid sunlight (don't even have to be that deep really) with a "day watch" of vamps that use one method or another to stay up during the day (I'm sure there's something) keep an eye on things while their crew gets their coffin-time.

Night falls, the ship emerges from the depths ready to plunder!

Plus when/if the PCs manage to beat these vampire pirates (who should entirely be from races or variants with a swim speed to avoid running water issues altogether). The Ship Submerger can make an interesting and not really game changing bit of loot.

[VoxRationis]

Well, it's not just that they can't be immersed in running water, they can't even cross it. That's really bad for a sailor. A generous reading would suggest that you could follow a current and not be subject to that rule, but every ship has to cross a current sometime.

[MadGreenSon]

Well, it's not just that they can't be immersed in running water, they can't even cross it. That's really bad for a sailor. A generous reading would suggest that you could follow a current and not be subject to that rule, but every ship has to cross a current sometime.

Vampires from aquatic races do not have that issue! Problem solved, right?

[Alleran]

Alternately, there's the possibility of vampire lords (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mm/20021018a), but finding a good reason why several of them happen to be around and not killing one another could be troublesome.

[Raven777]

For boarding... does a ship count as a home? Because right now I'm imaging the captain asking a fat merchant's permission before swinging over for pillage.

[OldTrees1]

For boarding... does a ship count as a home? Because right now I'm imaging the captain asking a fat merchant's permission before swinging over for pillage.

Oh. It would wouldn't it. However vampires have domination(You'll invite us to board won't you?) and threatspromises(If you don't, you sink.)

[MadGreenSon]

I honestly wouldn't count a ship as a home in most cases, except maybe with pirates who don't dare have a home elsewhere.

Traditionally, sailors didn't consider the ship "home" that was their job, maybe their calling, but home was where their wives/girlfriends/hookers and blow were, not the ship.

[atemu1234]

The sides and deck of the ship are sealed with pitch, and as they're on a ship, they aren't harmed by the water until they piss off Calico, then he makes a point of throwing them overboard where they dissolve into dust. The other thing is, their whole shtick is to trick people into coming aboard by pretending to be a merchant ship. Then they send a team of dominated sailors to attack the other ship.

[Psyren]

The other thing is, their whole shtick is to trick people into coming aboard by pretending to be a merchant ship. Then they send a team of dominated sailors to attack the other ship.

This is a pretty terrible idea since noticing someone is dominated is only a DC 15 check. Any merchant worth his salt will have some ranks in Sense Motive, and it's a class skill for pirates (i.e. rogues) as well. Plus, all it takes is one cannonball to punch a hole in their ship to let some light in and it's shrieks and dust everywhere.

[atemu1234]

They're below deck. They only send in the dominated sailors once a ship docks. The crew is only active at night.

[Psyren]

So what does the ship do during the daytime, vanish?

Ships are more likely to be attacked during the day - they're easier to spot and target with cannons.

[Azoth]

Amphibious Template is LA+0 and only costs -2 dex to apply.

I can't remember where, probably the book of bad latin, but sunscreen for undead like Vampire's exists and is relatively cheap per dose. I think one application lasts a full day.

For a more permanent solution, I must venture into Pathfinder for the spell Protective Penumbra, but you could easily substitute darkness here. Making a permanent item that keeps its user partially in shade to negate all forms of sun sensitivity including light blindness. By the books formula it would be 2x3x2000=10k. This is WAY too espensive for such a limited item, especially if we want to only have it affect the area immediately around the user and not to give enough dakness for any form of concealment. Make it a cloak and charge maybe 1-2k for it and call it a day.

[VoxRationis]

So what does the ship do during the daytime, vanish?

Ships are more likely to be attacked during the day - they're easier to spot and target with cannons.

Not to mention that pretty much every single ship that's not a blockade runner is going to preferentially operate in daylight hours, because no one wants you to grab the wrong rope and swing the mast around the wrong way, or steer the boat onto rocks, because you can't see properly. A ship that consistently does nothing in the middle of the day is going to attract attention that will eventually lead to the vampire crew being hunted down and killed. They could get away with it in the short term, but a group of immortal, intelligent creatures should think a little farther forward than that. In short, this isn't a very good plan for vampires. Do they have to be vampires, or do other intelligent, spawn-creating undead work as well?

[dantiesilva]

So did you get this from the book series vampirates? Because it sounds a lot like you did, great series, but still.

[rmnimoc]

Not to mention that pretty much every single ship that's not a blockade runner is going to preferentially operate in daylight hours, because no one wants you to grab the wrong rope and swing the mast around the wrong way, or steer the boat onto rocks, because you can't see properly. A ship that consistently does nothing in the middle of the day is going to attract attention that will eventually lead to the vampire crew being hunted down and killed. They could get away with it in the short term, but a group of immortal, intelligent creatures should think a little farther forward than that. In short, this isn't a very good plan for vampires. Do they have to be vampires, or do other intelligent, spawn-creating undead work as well?

Just a reminder, the ship is crewed by dominated sailors, so the ship isn't "doing nothing" in the middle of the day, it's doing all the standard non-pirate ship things. Then the sun sets and it's pirate time. Odds are anyone who sees that these pirates are only acting like pirates during the night will think "pirates pretending to not be pirates, they have some skilled sailors" instead of "KILL THE BLOODSUCKERS". At least as long as the vampires aren't stupid about it. Proper disposal of the bodies will go a long way towards keeping their secret, even more so if you can revive the dead as minions (I consider making the corpse a minion as proper disposal 80% of the time).

[atemu1234]

Nope. But the thing is, the point is the ship is going to be attacked. It's a nice ship. It looks abandoned. Pirates come aboard, looking to loot or to get a new ship, they go below deck, behold- meal delivery.

[sleepyphoenixx]

Just get a Gnome Submersible (A&EG) and stay under the water during the day. If your vampires are aquatic the only time you'll have to surface is to load up your loot.

[Psyren]

Just a reminder, the ship is crewed by dominated sailors, so the ship isn't "doing nothing" in the middle of the day, it's doing all the standard non-pirate ship things. Then the sun sets and it's pirate time. Odds are anyone who sees that these pirates are only acting like pirates during the night will think "pirates pretending to not be pirates, they have some skilled sailors" instead of "KILL THE BLOODSUCKERS". At least as long as the vampires aren't stupid about it. Proper disposal of the bodies will go a long way towards keeping their secret, even more so if you can revive the dead as minions (I consider making the corpse a minion as proper disposal 80% of the time).

Until just about anyone interacts with the crew for any reason. One day the schlub they send to market to get food for their other pawns is going to be the one that makes his will save and the jig will be up. And I haven't even gotten into their family/friends, divinations from a suspicious undead-hunting church, governments simply seeking revenge for the mundane piracy etc. And who will the vampires eat? Presumably the crew, which will then need to be replaced on a pretty regular basis.

If your plan hinges on avoiding all forms of discovery or almost certain death, it may not be the best plan.

[OldTrees1]

Nope. But the thing is, the point is the ship is going to be attacked. It's a nice ship. It looks abandoned. Pirates come aboard, looking to loot or to get a new ship, they go below deck, behold- meal delivery.

The 2nd victim shouts a warning ("Vampire!") to the victims still on deck. Those victims start poking holes in the floor to let the sunlight in. Suddenly they are not victims anymore.

[sleepyphoenixx]

The 2nd victim shouts a warning ("Vampire!") to the victims still on deck. Those victims start poking holes in the floor to let the sunlight in. Suddenly they are not victims anymore.

Have you ever tried to "poke" a hole in a solid plank of wood? That's a task that will take a while even with the proper tools (unless your pirates run around with adamantine axes and optimized melee builds).
It's a different matter if they know beforehand and decide to shoot the ship full of holes first. If they go in unprepared they are vampire food.

[Psyren]

Why would everybody on the attacking boat go over? You would want someone manning the cannons on your boat in case shiz goes down. Certainly the captain would not be the one exploring below decks either.

[OldTrees1]

Have you ever tried to "poke" a hole in a solid plank of wood? That's a task that will take a while even with the proper tools (unless your pirates run around with adamantine axes and optimized melee builds).
It's a different matter if they know beforehand and decide to shoot the ship full of holes first. If they go in unprepared they are vampire food.

It would take a while but think about this. Your mate just screamed up that there were vampires on this ship. Either you can be vampire food, flee, or you can poke some light holes and get revenge.

Seriously if the vampire plan of attack is to stay below deck during day then they are fish in a barrel waiting to be shot. I see no way that the majority of the non vampire crew would become vampire food if they attacked midday unprepared. Sure 2 would die but the rest would be fine.

[VoxRationis]

Well, the matter makes a very good adventure hook, since the authorities would almost certainly begin an inquiry into the mysterious region where everyone disappears. The problem lies in that I think vampires should probably be a little smarter than this.

[Psyren]

I could see ONE vampire doing this, maybe dominating the captain and running a slaver operation - plenty to drink, the crew doesn't have to know (really, this works better if they aren't being dominated or eaten) and you're a lot harder to find and corner than a vampire in a slavic castle would be. Or perhaps the captain is the vampire, ambushed and turned during a stop in port one day, and now only his/her first mate knows the truth and is assisting him/her (willingly or unwillingly) while the captain stays below decks during the day. The crew mutters but doesn't think much of it because the first mate simply tells everyone that the captain is "sick."

But for a bunch of them to do this would be beyond silly.

[OldTrees1]

But for a bunch of them to do this would be beyond silly.

What if they brought their own shade? (Summon Thunderstorm)

[Psyren]

What if they brought their own shade? (Summon Thunderstorm)

A boat with a thunderstorm perpetually following it - assuming it didn't just destroy the boat altogether (and a big lol to that) - would attract exactly the kind of attention they don't want. People would think the boat is haunted and you'd still get anti-undead churches investigating. The first wave may not be prepared for vampires - though honestly, preparing for any sort of undead can't hurt - but even if the vamps prevail and wipe them all out, the next group will be even better armed and blessed up.

[Drogorn]

Vampire lords (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mm/20021018a) get control weather at will. A vampire lord's ship need never be in sunlight, and will never be stuck without wind.

So I'd go with one of those!

[hemming]

They could be based out of a large series of caverns, just large enough to sail into during the day...

I'm not sure the easiest way, but there must be options for planeshifting or making an entire boat invisible

Edit: or even a number of cavernous hideouts throughout their pirating territory

[Psyren]

They could be based out of a large series of caverns, just large enough to sail into during the day...

I'm not sure the easiest way, but there must be options for planeshifting or making an entire boat invisible

Edit: or even a number of cavernous hideouts throughout their pirating territory

Which means ships that venture into the vicinity of {hideout} are the ones that get attacked. And now you've got a nation's navy going after you because they triangulated your base.

A supernatural hiding spot like another plane just opens the door to supernatural means of locating them, e.g. divinations.

[atemu1234]

For starters, Domination. You know, the vampire ability. The one that'd work all too well on an unsuspecting sailor. You've got to remember, it's, as malack said, "at will". Also, remember that they're not running into appropriately leveled encounters every day. No, they run into things like third to eighth level experts.

[Psyren]

No one's saying they couldn't dominate an unsuspecting crew successfully, or even pull off a few raids. But in the long run this is a good way for them to get dusted.

[hemming]

Which means ships that venture into the vicinity of {hideout} are the ones that get attacked. And now you've got a nation's navy going after you because they triangulated your base.

A supernatural hiding spot like another plane just opens the door to supernatural means of locating them, e.g. divinations.

There are definitely dangers to having a hideout. I kind of just assumed they are operating in an area that is out of reach of most rulers navies - for whatever reason (if there is a war on, they may not be the priority)

I always think of pirates as hanging out in an area along a trade route, at points most distant from the most powerful naval powers

I'm not that familiar with inter-planar stuff - does it make them easier to find than if they stayed on the material plane?

They could even have a "pigs get fed, hogs get slaughtered" type attitude to try and avoid too much attention

[DrDeth]

I am tired of all these %$#@! vampires on this %$#@! boat!:smallfurious:

:smallsmile:

[hemming]

I am tired of all these %$#@! vampires on this %$#@! boat!:smallfurious:

:smallsmile:

Here is the dubbed version for cable TV: I'm tired of all these blood suckering vampires on this blood suckering boat