Faking A Vampire Lord

[Palanan]

How could a small-time con artist pass himself off as a vampire?

The "lord" part is optional, but I need a low-level character who uses magic and trickery to be as convincing a vampire as possible. This will be an encounter for a first- or second-level party, so I'd like him to be third or fourth level at most. I'd also like him to be a serious threat in his own right.

I'm open to material from any of the Paizo sourcebooks, and I'd be especially tickled if this could be done using one of the classes from Occult Adventures. With this in mind, how would you fake a vampire?

[Milo v3]

*Roll bluff & disguise*

[Spider_Jerusalem]

Well, it's all about details, I guess. The character can be seen only at night, use disguises to become paler, ask for permission whenever entering someone's house, and maybe use a few illusion tricks, like using Silent Image to create a well-positioned mirror that doesn't show his reflection (then again, being only the illusion of a mirror, it wouldn't show the other people's reflections, as well, so the character should take caution not to let the PCs inspect it).

[Elvenoutrider]

He uses leeches weekly to maintain a pale complexion - has wealth enough to keep staff around that just screams cliche (hires a hunchback to assist him and some attractive women to be his cohorts), raises wolves as companions. Perhaps he is or recruits a wizard to help maintain the facade. grows tomatoes to use to look like he drinks blood. Owns a rookery full of bats he uses to carry messages. wears a ring of sustenance so no one needs to see him eat.

Captures a homeless man, imprisons him for a week, has him see all of the hints of him being a vampire in the house, then the fake vampire lord has one of his servants pretend to break the homeless man out. Homeless guy then escapes to the streets to spread the rumor. Also he could just pay an information broker to spread misinformation.


Really this is very doable it just takes a **** ton of money.

[Elricaltovilla]

How could a small-time con artist pass himself off as a vampire?

The "lord" part is optional, but I need a low-level character who uses magic and trickery to be as convincing a vampire as possible. This will be an encounter for a first- or second-level party, so I'd like him to be third or fourth level at most. I'd also like him to be a serious threat in his own right.

I'm open to material from any of the Paizo sourcebooks, and I'd be especially tickled if this could be done using one of the classes from Occult Adventures. With this in mind, how would you fake a vampire?

Given this is PF and Magic is on the table for the character, a 3rd or 4th level wizard/sorcerer could just use the Undead Anatomy (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/u/undead-anatomy-i) spells to cover it. Possibly with some extra bluff and disguise on top of that to appear more specifically vampiric. There's also the Undead Bloodline (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer/bloodlines/bloodlines-from-paizo/undead-bloodline) for sorcerers that makes you more undead as you level and it improves (but for some reason doesn't give you Undead Anatomy as a bonus spell...). If the race is not currently set in stone, there's also the Dhampir (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/featured-races/arg-dhampir) race, which are "half-vampires" and pretty decent.

So I think that your best bet is as a Dhampir Undead Bloodline Sorcerer 4 that knows Undead Anatomy I.

[TheYell]

If you want Occult Adventures content:

7th level Dhampir Mesmerist, Cult Master archtype. Have him use Improved Unarmed Strike to mimic a vampire slam attack. And have him take the Extol trick, and give him a real vampire as a cohort. He'd have seven hit dice and a vampire fighting for him (at first anyhow) but if your crew is willing to fight a real vampire lord he should prove a refreshing relief.

[Elricaltovilla]

If you want Occult Adventures content:

7th level Dhampir Mesmerist, Cult Master archtype. Have him use Improved Unarmed Strike to mimic a vampire slam attack. And have him take the Extol trick, and give him a real vampire as a cohort. He'd have seven hit dice and a vampire fighting for him (at first anyhow) but if your crew is willing to fight a real vampire lord he should prove a refreshing relief.

These are supposed to be 1st and 2nd level characters. A full fledged vampire is way too much for them.

[Gildedragon]

Why would anyone want to be mistaken for a vampire
That feels like going for suicide by adventurers...

Maybe a vampire (that passes for human) is using him as a patsy

[Honest Tiefling]

Well, it's all about details, I guess. The character can be seen only at night, use disguises to become paler, ask for permission whenever entering someone's house, and maybe use a few illusion tricks, like using Silent Image to create a well-positioned mirror that doesn't show his reflection (then again, being only the illusion of a mirror, it wouldn't show the other people's reflections, as well, so the character should take caution not to let the PCs inspect it).

I second this. Throw in some pet bats (One could be a familar!), a creepy mansion or castle (it can be falling apart, adds to the atomsphere), an intense interest in necks of the prey of choice, a black carriage and some black lacy clothes. Oh, and he doesn't eat outside of his lair, and drinks copious amounts of red wine. Maybe some magic to elongate his canines into pseudo-fangs.

No one is going to try to figure out he's a vampire by stabbing him first thing. If they suspect it, they'll gear up frist and then stab him during the day in his coffin.

If he's terrorizing a rather small and poor village, you could handwave a lack of mirrors. Mirrors used to be quite expensive, so poor farmers aren't going to have a lot of them. Those who do might display them...Or you can say that they rather not because they suspect this dude is a vampire or don't believe in fancy shows of wealth like that or want to keep it somewhere safe.