Any ideas for a vampire hunter?

[GoblinGuy]

Considering makind one of these for a CoS game, likely being a non-caster. Any ideas? Homebrew is accepted.

[polymphus]

Check out the Monster Hunter and Inquisitive Rogue archetypes -- they're made just for characters like this

https://dnd.wizards.com/sites/default/files/media/upload/articles/UA%20Gothic%20Characters.pdf (https://dnd.wizards.com/sites/default/files/media/upload/articles/UA%20Gothic%20Characters.pdf)

[Quoxis]

Some things to consider:
- vampires can regenerate hp if they aren't in sunlight. This can be mitigated by attacking it with either holy water (which you should always have barrels of with you) or radiant damage.
- there's a cantrip for radiant damage: sacred flame. Sadly it requires a Dex saving throw - vampires have high dex and have the option to just succeed on a save 3 times per day.
- better ways of getting radiant damage: be an Aasimar (volo's guide to monsters), be a war cleric/paladin/bard and snatch the 3rd level spell "crusader's mantle" which imbues weapon attacks with radiant damage, or go 3 levels monk of the sun soul for ranged dex attacks dealing radiant damage
- vampires can charm people, the save against that is a 17 wisdom save. High wisdom and ideally proficiency in its saves are recommended.
- if you encounter a sleeping or incapacitated in its sleeping place and you manage to pierce its heart with a wooden weapon, it's paralyzed - get stealth
- vampires can turn into bats and fly away - you want ranged weapons (also to maneuver around as a vampire has only melee attacks afaik)
- vampires can also turn into fog, and it's immune to non-magic damage in that form, so you'll want at least some magic

My advised build:

Variant human with tavern brawler feat (for those wooden stakes)
1 level of light cleric
4 levels of sun soul monk
1 level of rogue
- in that order. Vampires have a not too low cr, so you're unlikely to meet one in the levels below 5, which is when you get really cool at what you're doing.
Pump everything you have into wisdom and dexterity (in that order).
Get youself some wooden stakes (and tell the dm they're basically improvised daggers; maybe he'll even allow you to make them monk weapons, i don't see why not) and holy water.
Get expertise in athletics and stealth. Get a cool hat, vampire hunters need those.

You're now a vampire hunter. If you know you're about to walk into its lair, you can try to sneak up to it and stake-paralyze it while it sleeps. If you face it in combat, you fook **** up with your radiant ranged attacks (reflavor as holy water or blessed grenades or holy oil exploding on impact if you're opposed to magic) while trying to stay away from the vamp.
If it's a longer combat (ideally with some companions to draw aggro) you can wear down its resistance with the sacred flame cantrip before you fire your signature move: faery fire (dex save, but you can do it with high wis and a little luck) which makes invisibility impossible and gives advantage on all attacks against it.
If the vamp engages in close combat you can bonus action disengage and either dash away or attack from afar OR you attack it with the stakes and flurry with two unarmed strikes or grapple it (the dagger is an improvised weapon after all, and with adequate str and expertise in athletics you should be able to do it). If it attacks you can give it disadvantage as a reaction (a light cleric feat) as often as your wis mod allows, so at least 3 times, and if it tries to grapple you (which is needed for its strongest attack, biting) you break the grapple with your awesome athletics skill.
When (not if) the vamp sees it's outclassed, it'll flee using its bat form (attack it with your radiant attack) or the mist form (attack it with sacred flame, but be prepared for it making every save as it has advantage in that form), in which case you go into hiding and follow the cloud. As soon as it rests in vamp form, stake it hard.

Edit:
Flavorwise you're Han Velsing, exterminator on the holy mission of cleansing the land of undeath in the name of Pelor (or whatever light deity you find interesting). Trained in the production and combat use of holy fire bombs by the order of the burnt fang, you bring the purging light of [deity of choice] into the darkest of caves and hearts.

[Talionis]

I think some amount of Ranger. Undead favored Enemy

[lunaticfringe]

Devotion Paladin seem specially suited for Vamp Hunting. Tavern Brawler maybe for chucking Holy Water vials. I'm afb but I'm pretty sure they get daylight, though that might be a high end spell for pallies

BAH forgot the non caster. Elf or Half Elf Battlemaster. Adv on Charm Saves is gravy, Fighters wreck face.

[Sariel Vailo]

Have a riduclous weapon the belmonts have a whip you get a net called vampire trapper.

[Spiderguy24]

Have a riduclous weapon the belmonts have a whip you get a net called vampire trapper.

Can you have a silver net and bless it? That would actually be an awesome weapon.

[Sariel Vailo]

Can you have a silver net and bless it? That would actually be an awesome weapon.

Do it. I dont care

[Spiderguy24]

Do it. I dont care

Yay! Now to get a whip!

[polymphus]

Depending on how committed you are to a non-caster, Cleric is a pretty obvious and powerful choice. Turn/Destroy Undead, access to Radiant damage (check out Guiding Bolt), high WIS and proficiency in WIS saves to resist glamour.

[GlenSmash!]

Monster Hunter Fighter works well for this, Any flavor of Revised ranger with Favored Enemy: Undead would work. There is even a Monster Slayer UA Ranger subclass here: https://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/UAThreeSubclasses.pdf

It's 11th level ability will be useful when Vampires go misty.

[Bohandas]

You can make a non magical vampire detector by arranging mirrors into a sort of double periscope in a frame that you can hold up to your eye. so that the light goes like this:



/--\
| |
---/ \--


Anyone who you can see normally but not through the scope is a vampire

[JakOfAllTirades]

I ran a Blood Hunter (available via the DMs Guild) and chose the Ghost Slayer archetype for Curse of Strahd, and wasn't disappointed. At 8th level I MC'd into the revised ranger and chose Undead for my favored enemy. I'm not a serious optimizer and I was doing up to 60 dpr against undead (vampires included, of course); my DEX/WIS scores weren't maxed out. If you optimize, you can take that class combo and do even better.

[Biggstick]

You definitely want a level of Cleric or 2 of Paladin so that you can create your own Holy Water (PHB 151-152). It takes a spell slot and 25g worth of Silver (which is consumed after the casting), but a level 1 Cleric can spend a few days with the spell Create/Destroy Water and this Ritual to create a ton of Holy Water to use against a Vampire.

I'd probably go with Paladin though if my intent was to be the actual Vampire Hunter. I'd want the Survival and Religion skill proficiencies at the very least, along with Athletics. Any of the Oaths are fitting, as you can flavor them according to your DM's game. Some people might suggest Rogue, but I think a Vampire Hunter should definitely have some divine assistance, and Paladin is what I'd run if I were building a Vampire Hunter.

[Vogie]

You definitely want a level of Cleric or 2 of Paladin so that you can create your own Holy Water (PHB 151-152). It takes a spell slot and 25g worth of Silver (which is consumed after the casting), but a level 1 Cleric can spend a few days with the spell Create/Destroy Water and this Ritual to create a ton of Holy Water to use against a Vampire.

I like the single level of Cleric alongside whatever core martial class you want. That gives you Mending/Sacred Flame & Thaumaturgy cantrips, as well as Cure Wounds and another first level spell. Many of the domains also include proficiency with heavy armor.

Shield the Faithful, from the Protection domain, would be a huge boon for a holy knight-style vamp hunter
Eyes of the Grave, from the Grave domain, is perfect for the Van Helsing-style vamp hunter

[Spiderguy24]

I like the single level of Cleric alongside whatever core martial class you want. That gives you Mending/Sacred Flame & Thaumaturgy cantrips, as well as Cure Wounds and another first level spell. Many of the domains also include proficiency with heavy armor.

Shield the Faithful, from the Protection domain, would be a huge boon for a holy knight-style vamp hunter
Eyes of the Grave, from the Grave domain, is perfect for the Van Helsing-style vamp hunter

Where is the Grave domain located?

[treecko]

Where is the Grave domain located?

http://media.wizards.com/2016/dnd/downloads/UA_Cleric.pdf

It's pretty well done in my opinion- one of the few UAs I'd allow in my games.

[Spiderguy24]

http://media.wizards.com/2016/dnd/downloads/UA_Cleric.pdf

It's pretty well done in my opinion- one of the few UAs I'd allow in my games.

Very nice! Too bad AL doesn't allow UAs. :(

[Easy_Lee]

Seems to me that the sun soul monk is suited to this.
- High wisdom save
- Monks can end charm spells on themselves even if they fail (stillness of mind, L7)
- Radiant damage to shut off regeneration
- Stunning strike vs constitution, vampire only has +4 and this isn't a proficient save
- Mobile enough to catch the vampire and avoid his children of the night

Paladins don't get the stillness of mind, stunning strike, or mobility that monks do. A vampire can just run from a paladin. Sun Soul monk really is ideal here, weird as it is to say that.

Or just call on a wizard to locate his resting place, I guess.

[Bohandas]

In cold climates, sling stones made of frozen holy water. Possibly hardened with wood pulp in the manner of pykrete

[Mortis_Elrod]

Very nice! Too bad AL doesn't allow UAs. :(

Xanathars Guide to Everything has the following subclasses

-Grave Cleric
-Monster Slayer Ranger
-Sun Soul Monk
-Inquisitive Rogue

Its a heavy content book. Great for your PHB+1 but if you wanted a race from Volo's :( however the spel selections are nice. Being able to eventually cast Holy Weapon is something you'd want.

[Angelalex242]

Make a 5'3" blonde female open hand monk.

Name her Buffy Summers.

Done.

(Also a good idea are Devotion Paladins. Smites and charm immunity and protection from good and evil have ya covered.)

[Sigreid]

A mastermind rogue could be really good. Not only do you get the core rogue damage boosts, but a bonus action ranged help for the member of your party that can do radiant damage...like the paladin. Van Helsing wasn't a great warrior, but he led the others.

[Fire Tarrasque]

Blackbando made a fantastic homebrew Exorcist class, though it may be a bit more anti undead than vampire hunter.. Exorcist could be found here:
https://blackbando.wordpress.com/2017/11/14/exorcist/
Purge Specter or Purge Ghast would be the most useful there.

[Legendairy]

Out of curiosity, why was this thread necroed? It’s cause of the undead aspect right?

[Bohandas]

something reminded me of pykrete and I had the epiphany that you could make it out of holy water. And the thread isn't that old

[GlenSmash!]

Xanathars Guide to Everything has the following subclasses

-Grave Cleric
-Monster Slayer Ranger
-Sun Soul Monk
-Inquisitive Rogue

Its a heavy content book. Great for your PHB+1 but if you wanted a race from Volo's :( however the spel selections are nice. Being able to eventually cast Holy Weapon is something you'd want.

Yeah too bad that book wasn't out when the OP made this thread. If they are still planning on making this character those are definitely good options though.

[Legendairy]

Guess its just my opinion, but the odds of him still trying to design this character for his campaign are slim after 8 months, still possible tho. Not that old is relative to the subject too I suppose, I do think 8 months IS considered thread necro, I may be wrong tho.