What classes best take advantage of a Vampire's strengths?

[Scarlet Tropix]

Pretty basic question. I'm sending my PCs up against a nasty little family of vampires that rule over the political and criminal aspects of a large trading metropolis, with the tension between those two elements being a key element to play on when it comes to staking the bloodsuckers.

For the sake of a few interesting encounters, I was wondering if anyone has advice for some Classes or PrCs that would take advantage of the Vampire's bag of tricks. Feel free to suggest out any book or even homebrew, as I'm open to everything.

Thanks in advance.

[Mongoose87]

Crusaders. Swordsages. Warblades.

[Starbuck_II]

Rogues? They can use the Dex bonus.

Really, Vampires are not focused much.

[Scarlet Tropix]

I kind of figured they'd be fairly generalized, but I'm the sort of DM who enjoys dirty tricks... Like putting reach on shivering touch... Mainly because my players don't optimize and don't know HOW to optimize. It's fun to scare them with things that are both terrifying and legal.

It all works out in the end anyway because they have amazing luck.

[Saph]

TWF Ranger? Sneak up on target and then energy drain it multiple times. Add Pounce if you really want to be nasty.

[Flickerdart]

TWF Ranger? Sneak up on target and then energy drain it multiple times. Add Pounce if you really want to be nasty.

A standard Vampire's energy drain attack can only be used once per round. However, the Savage Vampire variant in the Book of Bad Latin grants the Vampire's claw attacks (of which it gets two) the ability to drain a single level. So Girallon Arms and Girallon's Blessing suddenly become great buddies of yours. This can be accomplished more cheaply with a creature that gets multiple slams and the +4 LA Gravewight template.

[Zeta Kai]

Surprisingly, I think that a vampire Barbarian would work well, especially once that can Pounce. The benefits of Rage should mesh well with a vamp's perks.

[Scarlet Tropix]

A standard Vampire's energy drain attack can only be used once per round. However, the Savage Vampire variant in the Book of Bad Latin grants the Vampire's claw attacks (of which it gets two) the ability to drain a single level. So Girallon Arms and Girallon's Blessing suddenly become great buddies of yours. This can be accomplished more cheaply with a creature that gets multiple slams and the +4 LA Gravewight template.

This sounds like it would be absolutely evil... Energy drain is about the worst thing you can do to someone you don't intend to kill, heheh.

[Krazddndfreek]

Hehe, my friend is running a vampire barbarian. Make sure to use Whirling Frenzy so you don't have a wasted CON bonus.

[Dusk Eclipse]

A standard Vampire's energy drain attack can only be used once per round. However, the Savage Vampire variant in the Book of Bad Latin grants the Vampire's claw attacks (of which it gets two) the ability to drain a single level. So Girallon Arms and Girallon's Blessing suddenly become great buddies of yours. This can be accomplished more cheaply with a creature that gets multiple slams and the +4 LA Gravewight template.

Where is the savage vampire template from? I just skimmed through my Libris mortis and couldn't find it.
Same for the gravewight template

[senrath]

Where is the savage vampire template from? I just skimmed through my Libris mortis and couldn't find it.
Same for the gravewight template

Savage Vampire is on page 170 of Libris Mortis. Dunno about Gravewight.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Savage Vampire is on page 170 of Libris Mortis. Dunno about Gravewight.

Thanks
and that is why I didn't fount it on the first look, I just looked through the monster chapter. ^_^U

[Lysander]

How about bard? The charisma bonus helps with their spell casting and music, and the other vampire abilities and stat boosts turn a decent fighter into a great one. Maybe a bit overkill on social skills and mind control, but still possibly potent.

[Lycanthromancer]

A vampire thrallherd. "ARISE FROM THE GRAVE, MY MINIONS!

"...And you too, Not-Evil Bob the Chicken-Infested Commoner-Slash-Dread-Necromancer. I'm feeling a bit peckish. And after you feed me, feel free to toss some exploding zombie chickens their way, would you?"

Keep in mind that manifesting levels are non-associated levels, so +2 levels = +1 CR until you get enough of them tallied up.

[HunterOfJello]

a non-caster class. therefore, all of the Tome of Battle and Barbarian




Tome of Battle characters should even get a boost to their initiator level for the monster levels that a vampire has (i would think, but i'm not absolutely certain)

[Seatbelt]

Surprisingly, I think that a vampire Barbarian would work well, especially once that can Pounce. The benefits of Rage should mesh well with a vamp's perks.

Vampire barbarians are terrible unless you do things like whirling frenzy (like the one guy said). They lack the con bonus to make taking all that damage survivable. I had the party one-shot a vampire like he was a speedbump because I thought a vampire barbarian would be a good solo monster. :P

[Lycanthromancer]

How about a vampire totemist? Or maybe a vampire incarnate? Necrocarnum soulmelds FTW.

[Ranos]

If you somehow get telekinesis, you can autopin people on a successful grapple and do the Kain trick, draining their blood from a distance. Spellstitched would work here, or wizard levels. Or Vampire ghosts (yes, I went there.)

[Soranar]

a monk with a grapple oriented build

an evil paladin type (tyranny is best since it reduces saves which helps your natural abilities) as they improved your saves significantly

[true_shinken]

Omg, I'm DMing a very similar arc in my campaign.
I have stated fighter vampires, rogue vampires and necromancer vampires. The necromancers are not exactly very powerful, but they do surround themselves with other undeads that explode in negative energy bursts when killed.
My advice for vampire is using a one-handed weapon and slam as a secondary attack (since drain is only once a round anyway). Unless you are sure the vampire won't get flanked though don't just stand there and full attack - vampires simply don't have that much hp. Use the vampires mobility - a simple spell like grease can be horrible for a party while vampires can walk on walls and the ceiling.

[Runestar]

I am thinking swordsages do quite well. They get bonuses from most of the vampire's stat mods, the skill bonuses are relevant as well, their strikes augment the vampire's slam attack (so you can deal decent damage in addition to lv drain), and have some maneuvers to help cover their traditional weaknesses (such as mind over body for poor fort saves, evasion to complement good reflex saves).

[krossbow]

Sorcerer. Less squishy, bonus to charisma boosts their Spells, lots of escape mechanisms if enemies somehow close to melee with them.

[Leon]

I had a Vampire Monk turn out very well, it proved to be a very tricky opponent for the party and ended up escaping from them and rampaging after they destroyed its coffin.

[Flickerdart]

Savage Vampire is on page 170 of Libris Mortis. Dunno about Gravewight.

Gravewight isn't LM, it's StS, p. 31.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Gravewight isn't LM, it's StS, p. 31.

What is StS? secrets of something?

[Deth Muncher]

Uh...sorceror? C'mon. You're not a PC, the LA doesn't mean anything to you.

[Flickerdart]

What is StS? secrets of something?

The Standing Stone. StS seems to be the abbreviation for it for some reason.

[Dusk Eclipse]

The Standing Stone. StS seems to be the abbreviation for it for some reason.

Third party I assume.... oh and thanks

[Flickerdart]

Third party I assume.... oh and thanks

Nope. An adventure module from 2001.

[gallagher]

why not go with a wilder?