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selim nahanahs
2008-04-03, 02:03 AM
i've started a low level evoker wizard, but am planning on either becomeing a lich or vampire for fun when im higher level.
i know how to become a vampire but there are some things im unsure of, such as..
1) when u become a vampire the book says that your loyal to the vampire that turned u, how do you become a free vampire?
2)if you kill your master, does that kill you???, my DM thinks so

Emperor Tippy
2008-04-03, 02:15 AM
i've started a low level evoker wizard, but am planning on either becomeing a lich or vampire for fun when im higher level.
i know how to become a vampire but there are some things im unsure of, such as..
1) when u become a vampire the book says that your loyal to the vampire that turned u, how do you become a free vampire?
2)if you kill your master, does that kill you???, my DM thinks so

Ok. Someone failed wizard school. But thats neither here nor there.

1)Your master dies, you are created after he has filled up his allocation of servants, or he frees you.

2)No but you can't kill your master, well at least you can't if your master is at all competent and just orders you not to kill him.

GoodbyeSoberDay
2008-04-03, 02:18 AM
If you're going to be evil anyway, and you're contemplating them both, might I suggest lich over vampire? The level adjustment isn't as crippling, and the abilities mesh better with a caster who's going to be throwing around fireball. During the day.

Khanderas
2008-04-03, 02:19 AM
i've started a low level evoker wizard, but am planning on either becomeing a lich or vampire for fun when im higher level.
i know how to become a vampire but there are some things im unsure of, such as..
1) when u become a vampire the book says that your loyal to the vampire that turned u, how do you become a free vampire?
2)if you kill your master, does that kill you???, my DM thinks so
You combine 1 and 2
When you are turned into a vampire, you do not have free will (unless the vampire already controls his limit and volontarily lets you off the hook, usually he destroys / releases a less valuable old controlled vampire)
When your master vampire is killed, by you, anyone else or for any reason and means, all vampires under his control become free vampires.

It should be noted that you are somewhat limited in killing the vampire yourself. You can't really go..."Im a vampire now. But the vampire that turned me can tell me what to do. No problem, I'll just kill him"
You not attacking him is the least this control extends to. Depending on DM, you might be physically unable to hire somone else to kill him too (not to mention anyone who can kill vampires are then a threat to you too, and most vampire hunters would finish you off too).

Ward.
2008-04-03, 02:28 AM
i've started a low level evoker wizard, but am planning on either becomeing a lich or vampire for fun when im higher level.
i know how to become a vampire but there are some things im unsure of, such as..
1) when u become a vampire the book says that your loyal to the vampire that turned u, how do you become a free vampire?
2)if you kill your master, does that kill you???, my DM thinks so

Just have your character drink some sort of anti vampire poison and have an antidote to it on hand, then when he turns you, he'll die shortly after and your all set to drop the antidote.

Khanderas
2008-04-03, 02:53 AM
Just have your character drink some sort of anti vampire poison and have an antidote to it on hand, then when he turns you, he'll die shortly after and your all set to drop the antidote.
Except the master vampire says, "Give me the antidote"
And you give him the antidote.

After trying to trick him like that, you are either going to amuse him by dying to whatever poison that was and does (and poison is crap in DnD) or you will be sent on a suicidemission. Either way you will be dead.

I would set up friends and such to kill the master vampire once turned, but you will be commanded to defend the vampire with your 'life'.

Bag_of_Holding
2008-04-03, 04:15 AM
i've started a low level evoker wizard, but am planning on either becomeing a lich or vampire for fun when im higher level.
i know how to become a vampire but there are some things im unsure of, such as..
1) when u become a vampire the book says that your loyal to the vampire that turned u, how do you become a free vampire?
2)if you kill your master, does that kill you???, my DM thinks so

By becoming a vampire, you gain +8 to LA; which means, when all other party members are at 12th level, you'll still be a 4th level character and one that can't go around during the day at that. Of course, to become a vampire not a vampire spawn, you have to have at least 5HD, so it'll be a 13th-level character. To accomplish this, you'll have to either: wait until everyone else is 13th-level and become a vampire or by using the variant rule from PGtF, you'll have to take something like -8 penalty to just about everything at 5th level, and 'buying off' the -ve LA when you level up (you don't gain anything at all, apart from reducing the penalty by 1). So if you're starting from low level, it's not advisable for you to be a vampire at all.

Lich is a bit more managable, with only +4 LA. However, you must have Craft Wondrous Item feat and use up 120,000gp and 4,800XP crafting your phylactery. No, there's no getting around that except by taking 20 levels of Dread Necromancer. Anyhow, you'll also have have caster level of 11, meaning a 10th-level caster with an ioun stone or just a 11th-level full caster. What really sucks is that the character wealth by level doesn't reach 120,000gp up until at least mid-13th level.

So either way, you'll have to wait until 13th level (vampire) or 17th level (lich) to apply those templates. If you're not really familiar with the system, I'd suggest simply sticking to much easier templates such as necropolitan etc.

GoodbyeSoberDay
2008-04-03, 05:32 AM
Hm, I forgot how expensive it was to become a lich. I'm sure if the OP talked to the DM (and other players) about becoming one, just the right material components could fall into his lap, so to speak. He's already losing four levels, a big chunk of XP, and all moral compunction for his immortality. It shouldn't be a big deal if he didn't have to fork up so much dough.

Nebo_
2008-04-03, 06:47 AM
Except the master vampire says, "Give me the antidote"
And you give him the antidote.

No, the Vampire just looks at you and doesn't die. Then you remember that Undead are immune to poison.

KillianHawkeye
2008-04-03, 07:06 AM
This is something I've been wondering about....

If you gain a template with LA mid-game, what happens to your level? Does your ECL jump up right away, and then you stop gaining class levels while you wait for your XP total to "catch up"? You shouldn't actually lose levels or anything like that.

For those of you who've had this come up in your games, how did you handle it?

Khanderas
2008-04-03, 07:20 AM
This is something I've been wondering about....

If you gain a template with LA mid-game, what happens to your level? Does your ECL jump up right away, and then you stop gaining class levels while you wait for your XP total to "catch up"? You shouldn't actually lose levels or anything like that.

For those of you who've had this come up in your games, how did you handle it?
Two ways I would say, either sit around collecting Xp until you catch up,
or gain xp as if level (<classlevel> + <template>).

Then you either get "Everyone get 1000 Xp for that encounter, except bob who can deduct 1000Xp from his debt" or "Everyone gets 1000Xp for that encounter, except bob, who gets 60 xp for being 6 levels higher."


Now the RIGHT way, may be something else.

Closet_Skeleton
2008-04-03, 08:00 AM
No, the Vampire just looks at you and doesn't die. Then you remember that Undead are immune to poison.

You use positoxins from Liber Mortis.

TempusCCK
2008-04-03, 11:00 AM
Here's my tip for becoming a vampire: Don't do it.

Forget what Anne Rice told you about them, they're not cool. They're whiney, dependant on others for their unholy sembelence of life, and an easy target for any high level Good-aligned adventurer. Hell, a couple disintegrates and you should be toast. Forget that.

SamTheCleric
2008-04-03, 11:03 AM
And you really need to be careful about turning into something that can be outsmarted with a decanter of endless water. :smallsmile:

Mewtarthio
2008-04-03, 11:12 AM
It should be noted, however, that there is a creature called the "Vampire Lord," who must first kill his former master (among other things). I'd rule that, if you level up as a vampire, and your master is already at his spawn HD limit, you are automatically freed.

Human Paragon 3
2008-04-03, 11:18 AM
If you want to be a vampire, just work it out with your DM so your vampire lord frees you. It could be like in Interview with the Vampire or something where he antagonizes you, but you have free will.

Zincorium
2008-04-03, 11:22 AM
If you want to be a vampire, just work it out with your DM so your vampire lord frees you. It could be like in Interview with the Vampire or something where he antagonizes you, but you have free will.

If you're basing a character off of Anne Rice books, D&D may not be the ideal system for you.

Indon
2008-04-03, 11:53 AM
After trying to trick him like that, you are either going to amuse him by dying to whatever poison that was and does (and poison is crap in DnD) or you will be sent on a suicidemission. Either way you will be dead.

I would set up friends and such to kill the master vampire once turned, but you will be commanded to defend the vampire with your 'life'.

I think this calls for an overly complicated plan (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/XanatosRoulette)!

I'm pretty sure it's written somewhere that vampire characters get mechanical bonuses for making overintricate plans.