Unarmed Vampire Swordsage

[goken04]

Can he use Energy Drain with his unarmed strike? The srd says it can be used with any natural weapon, so I assume an unarmed strike counts for this. If so, my villain will be significantly scarier.

[gdiddy]

Make it a Deepspawn Illithid Vampire Unarmed Swordsage, with Flexible Limbs and the Tall Deformity.

Now it's really scary.

As far as RAW, your thing seems sound, but it hardly feels like a vampire if it sucks your blood with its fist.

[Ryuuk]

Well, maybe, but remember this:

Energy Drain (Su)
Living creatures hit by a vampire’s slam attack (or any other natural weapon the vampire might possess) gain two negative levels. For each negative level bestowed, the vampire gains 5 temporary hit points. A vampire can use its energy drain ability once per round.

You'd get the same effect with a regular swordsage and using your slam as a secondary attack.

[Lycanthromancer]

Make it a Deepspawn Illithid Vampire Unarmed Swordsage, with Flexible Limbs and the Tall Deformity.

Now it's really scary.

As far as RAW, your thing seems sound, but it hardly feels like a vampire if it sucks your blood with its fist.

They're easier to suck when they're already unconscious.

Don't mind me. I'll just be hiding in the corner, sobbing to myself.

[Lycanthromancer]

Well, maybe, but remember this:

Energy Drain (Su)
Living creatures hit by a vampire’s slam attack (or any other natural weapon the vampire might possess) gain two negative levels. For each negative level bestowed, the vampire gains 5 temporary hit points. A vampire can use its energy drain ability once per round.

You'd get the same effect with a regular swordsage and using your slam as a secondary attack.

Ah, but it's quite difficult to make secondary attacks with most maneuvers.

You can still slam with most offensive standard action maneuvers that don't allow full-attacks, though.

[Dusk Eclipse]

I believe the savage vampire in Libris Mortis, doesn't have the clause concerning using the energy drain once per round. Though I might be wrong

[goken04]

You'd get the same effect with a regular swordsage and using your slam as a secondary attack.

Not when using it as part of a strike.

[tyckspoon]

As far as RAW, your thing seems sound, but it hardly feels like a vampire if it sucks your blood with its fist.

Well, no problem then. The Blood Drain is a completely separate special attack performed by grappling the victim. Energy Drain is.. just some random ability to sap the lifeforce of a target by beating them up. I don't really know why they attached it to the vampire.

[goken04]

I believe the savage vampire in Libris Mortis, doesn't have the clause concerning using the energy drain once per round. Though I might be wrong

It gets one negative level with each claw attack. Amounts to the same thing.

[Starbuck_II]

Can he use Energy Drain with his unarmed strike? The srd says it can be used with any natural weapon, so I assume an unarmed strike counts for this. If so, my villain will be significantly scarier.

No. Unarmed Strikes aren't natural weapons. They are are natural attacks, but not natural weapons (important distinction).
Natural weapons can't be used with BAB, but unarmed strike can be used with BAB.
A Lizardfolk with 20 BAB still only has 1 attacks for each natural weapon.
But a Fighter with 20 BAB has 4 unarmed Strikes.

[goken04]

No. Unarmed Strikes aren't natural weapons. They are are natural attacks, but not natural weapons (important distinction).
Natural weapons can't be used with BAB, but unarmed strike can be used with BAB.

Citation?

and some words

[Starbuck_II]

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbi...naturalWeapons

Natural weapons are weapons that are physically a part of a creature. A creature making a melee attack with a natural weapon is considered armed and does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Likewise, it threatens any space it can reach. Creatures do not receive additional attacks from a high base attack bonus when using natural weapons.

[Superglucose]

Natural weapons can't be used with BAB

At the risk of sounding rude... what do you mean?

EDIT: Ah, ok, gotcha now. I thought you were saying that if you were using natural weapons you weren't allowed to add your BAB to your to-hit roll.

[Starbuck_II]

I bolded what I meant. You can't use BAB for calculating attacks/rd with Natural weapons.

[goken04]

How does everyone feel if I Rule 0 this?

[Yuki Akuma]

How does everyone feel if I Rule 0 this?

Uh... We don't care at all because your house rules are your business?

If you think it would be more fun that way, go for it.

Just try not to kill the PCs. Remember, death by energy drain means you can't be resurrected short of ninth-level spells.

(Or was that just death effects? Either way, people tend to ignore that for some reason.)