drsid Posted January 25, 2010 Report Share Posted January 25, 2010 Re: How do you build a vampire template in 6E? Having just perused through Urban Fantasy Hero, there is a Vampire "package" in the book, though if I understand correctly, its 5th edition. I'd just post the package here, but I'm not sure if that violates copyright rules and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted January 25, 2010 Report Share Posted January 25, 2010 Re: How do you build a vampire template in 6E? The Hero Games management is generally okay with small textual snippets from their books being transcribed here, as within the bounds of "fair use"; but have expressed disapproval of their copyrighted, published game-mechanical write-ups (for characters, tech, spells and the like) being reproduced on an open forum, especially if the books they're from are still in print. Methinks it would be better form to let it slide. But thank you for the offer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gangrel44 Posted July 14, 2012 Report Share Posted July 14, 2012 Re: How do you build a vampire template in 6E? Looks like I'm in the right place to get some help for a vampire template that I am building So here goes.: One of the Abilities that the template will have is The vampire will have the ability to have it's face shift into a vampiric "game face" like seen on the lost boys or buffy and the shift will just be cosmetic with no special abilities...but will frighten those who are not accustomed to seeing such things. How can this be pulled off stat wise? The other question I have has to deal with stakes. The vamps in my game can be killed when a stake goes through their heart making it easy to decapitate or put out in sunlight....but if the stake is removed the vampire can return to life. Again how can this be done stat wise? If anybody can help me with this I would be very grateful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KX_Mushashi Posted July 14, 2012 Report Share Posted July 14, 2012 Re: How do you build a vampire template in 6E? If there is no real in game effect you could just say they have the ability to shift faces. If you are just looking for a fear effect you could do a couple of levels of Striking appearance with the limitation only to cause fear, or a shape shift Sight (maybe touch as well) with Make over adder, possibly instant change, then only cost endurance to activate, limited effect, possibly if it is allowed only effects body. it is a low cost power but then again it has next to no effect. For the stake you could build them as a complex power. HtHKA then a entangle that only triggers when a vampire is stabbed in the heart and can "heal itself". you would use only works on vampires, trigger (when stake goes through the heart), constant (only while stake is through the heart), probably reduced endurance 0, Can't be escaped with Teleportation, Takes no Damage for attacks, Affects Deslofication (probably the same cost as can't escape with teleportation). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbywolfe Posted July 14, 2012 Report Share Posted July 14, 2012 Re: How do you build a vampire template in 6E? The stake shouldn't be built as some complex power just to effect vampires, it's just a piece of wood; vampires sould have a complication to represent what happens when they get staked. Something like Physical Complication, Paralyzed when staked through the heart, Infrequent, Totally Impairing. Alternately if the vampire is built with Regeneration/Ressurection, perhaps the power has a Limitation "doesn't Regenerate/Ressurect while staked". That would be seperate from the kill condition that negates Ressurection (decapitation, sun light, burned to ash, or whatever). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted July 15, 2012 Report Share Posted July 15, 2012 Re: How do you build a vampire template in 6E? Face of Fear: (Total: 3 Active Cost, 2 Real Cost) +1/+1d6 Striking Appearance (vs. all characters) (3 Active Points); Only In Monstrous Identity (-1/4) (Real Cost: 2) (note: anyone seeing the Face of Fear KNOWS they're looking at a vampire) Arose from the Grave: (Total: 29 Active Cost, 23 Real Cost) Regeneration (1 BODY per Day), Can Heal Limbs, Resurrection (29 Active Points); Restrainable (Only by means of a stake through the heart; -1/4) (Real Cost: 23) Lucius Alexander Usable on Palindromedaries Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 Re: How do you build a vampire template in 6E? Arose from the Grave: (Total: 29 Active Cost' date=' 23 Real Cost) Regeneration (1 BODY per Day), Can Heal Limbs, Resurrection (29 Active Points); Restrainable (Only by means of a stake through the heart; -1/4) (Real Cost: 23)[/quote'] Wouldn't the "stake through heart"/"cut off head" be the normal, mandatory way to stop the regeneration an thus not be worth any limitation? Otherwise I agree: The first part is either Striking Appereace, or Shape Shift with makeover to apply Striking Appereance (only if he needs Shape Shift for other stuff already). The "Stake through heart" thing would simply be regeneration with resurrection, wich needs a mandatory way to stop it. I think the Vampire is even a book-example for Resurrection Regeneration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbywolfe Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 Re: How do you build a vampire template in 6E? The cutting off the head is the way to stop the Regen that permanently kills it. The stake through the heart simple stops regen/res from working until it is removed, it doesn't kill them for good. There is a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 Re: How do you build a vampire template in 6E? The cutting off the head is the way to stop the Regen that permanently kills it. The stake through the heart simple stops regen/res from working until it is removed' date=' it doesn't kill them for good. There is a difference.[/quote'] Just re-read. The stake does not kill him, it only immobilizes him. Only sunlight and beheading can kill him. Everything you built is from the point of a normal human and every normal human dies (instantly) when you stake him through the heart or behead him. So first you need to avoid death by heart-staking, perhaps high defenses? Also, how would the rest of him react to wood? Is he easily cut/damage by it? If it is hard to hurt him, how could a normal wooden stake even "get through"? Vampires tend to be "ultrafast regeneration" types, wich is often best modeled with a little regeneration and lot's of Resistant Defense (with the special effect that he almost instantly heals any damage). That he dies in Sunlight can be done with a Succeptibility that does Damage (first STUN, then Body). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbywolfe Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 Re: How do you build a vampire template in 6E? Everything I said was not from a perspective of normal human. If you actually read my post you would see my very first suggestion was a Physical Complication such as "Paralyzed when staked in heart". I said a Limitation on their Regen/Res may also be warrented and worth a limitation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted July 18, 2012 Report Share Posted July 18, 2012 Re: How do you build a vampire template in 6E? Everything I said was not from a perspective of normal human. If you actually read my post you would see my very first suggestion was a Physical Complication such as "Paralyzed when staked in heart". I said a Limitation on their Regen/Res may also be warrented and worth a limitation. I meant gangree in the second part of my post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted July 18, 2012 Report Share Posted July 18, 2012 Re: How do you build a vampire template in 6E? Just re-read. The stake does not kill him, it only immobilizes him. Only sunlight and beheading can kill him. Everything you built is from the point of a normal human and every normal human dies (instantly) when you stake him through the heart or behead him. So first you need to avoid death by heart-staking, perhaps high defenses? No, he is dead when staked through the heart. And his Regeneration/Resurrection does not work until/unless the stake is pulled out. Hence, his regen/ress (which he has paid for, differentiating him from a normal human) stops working while the stake is in his heart (and he stays dead, like a normal person). Also, how would the rest of him react to wood? Is he easily cut/damage by it? If it is hard to hurt him, how could a normal wooden stake even "get through"? Vampires tend to be "ultrafast regeneration" types, wich is often best modeled with a little regeneration and lot's of Resistant Defense (with the special effect that he almost instantly heals any damage). What kind of vampire do you want? The ones that vampire hunters can stake through the heart with a single combat action? Limit the rDEF not to work against wooden stakes and handwave that they can always be heart hits. Or limit it to fail against wooden stakes hitting the defined (for this game) "heart" hit location. Vampire hunters buy lots of penalty skill levels to remove the penalty for targeting that location. Classic vampires who had to be immobile and a stake hammered through their heart? Make the rDEF fail if the Vampire is immobile, or only if immobile and having a stake hammered into his heart. Or buy little or no rDEF, using Reduction and/or normal defenses, and buy Regen per segment from the APG. That option is intended for fast regenerating targets. That he dies in Sunlight can be done with a Succeptibility that does Damage (first STUN' date=' then Body).[/quote'] Sure can. Or it can be "dies instantly in sunlight" or "is helpless in sunlight" coupled with a susceptibility. Again, what kind of vampire you want will determine the appropriate choice. Bottom line: the source material reflects vampire abilities and vulnerabilities inconsistently, so the first step is defining how they will work in this game, or even for this vampire. Then we design the mechanics to reflect that decision. Hero is not about giving you a stat block for the vampire (eg. telling you "immersion in running water means at least 1/3 of the vampire's body is immersed, the water is free flowing and he must be immersed for at least 6 segments") - you define which weaknesses apply and how. Except, of course, that all Vampires must have 3d6 Susceptibility to Tourbots, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted July 18, 2012 Report Share Posted July 18, 2012 Re: How do you build a vampire template in 6E? As for the penalty for hitting the heart: APG I 173 has advanced hit locations. No heart, but: The eye is a -12 with x5 Killing Stun, x2 Normal Stun and x2.5 Body I would think anything around -8 (like the head) would be a go for the heart. After all the brain is as important als the heart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Waters Posted July 18, 2012 Report Share Posted July 18, 2012 Re: How do you build a vampire template in 6E? Sticking a stake through the heart of pretty much anything with a heart will kill it: are vampires actually any more susceptible to staking than normal human beings? Probably not: given their speed and strength, probably less so. If you want a vampire that can only be killed in some arcane way, well, you are probably out of luck. Resurrection regeneration is a good way to bring a character who should be dead back, but a lot of vampire types could probably not only survive having all four limbs hacked off but still be trying to bite you. That is awkward to do in Hero: that much damage would put them out. You could buy extra body for the head and torso to simulate the effect, I suppose, but you need a really clear idea of what you are trying to accomplish. Would, for example, pumping several clips of ammo into a vampire stop it (even temporarily) or just slow it down? You might want to give vampires, for example, very high defences to simulate the 'fact' that they can not be stopped by conventional means, but it is all very dependent on the campaign as a whole, which optional rules you are using and so on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted July 20, 2012 Report Share Posted July 20, 2012 Re: How do you build a vampire template in 6E? Arose from the Grave: (Total: 29 Active Cost, 23 Real Cost) Regeneration (1 BODY per Day), Can Heal Limbs, Resurrection (29 Active Points); Restrainable (Only by means of a stake through the heart; -1/4) (Real Cost: 23) To clarify: The "normal, mandatory" ways to permanently prevent resurrection include such means as incineration, immersion in running water (for some defined period of time) or exposure to direct sunlight. A stake through the heart does not permanently kill; it just restrains the Power from operating for a time. It's not part of the default exception built into the Power, it's a seperate Restrainable Limitation. And when you consider that the weaknesses of vampires are so commonly known, a Limitation is not at all unreasonable. Lucius Alexander Usable on Palindromedaries Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Waters Posted July 20, 2012 Report Share Posted July 20, 2012 Re: How do you build a vampire template in 6E? Stake through the heart And you're to blame You give vampires A bad name Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vondy Posted July 24, 2012 Report Share Posted July 24, 2012 Re: How do you build a vampire template in 6E? Well, you hand waved the heal problem that held me up. Very impressive though in all other ways. You get to define the heal back condition, so "long-forgotten occult ritual you guys will never unearth" is perfectly valid way around hand-waving. Also, I'm pretty rules strongly suggest define a heal-back condition, not that there must absolutely be one for every transform. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted July 24, 2012 Report Share Posted July 24, 2012 Re: How do you build a vampire template in 6E? You get to define the heal back condition' date=' so "long-forgotten occult ritual you guys will never unearth" is perfectly valid way around hand-waving. Also, I'm pretty rules strongly suggest define a heal-back condition, not that there must absolutely be one for every transform.[/quote'] There has to be a Healing Condition, the same way there has to be a Special Effect that ingnores Regeneration and or one that affects you when Desolidified. It's part of the "no absolutes" Rule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pattern Ghost Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 Re: How do you build a vampire template in 6E? Has anyone linked this yet? Might be handy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_vampire_traits_in_folklore_and_fiction Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gojira Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 Re: How do you build a vampire template in 6E? Hmm, ok, so there was a recent request for vampire stuff. It was just was odd that this thread started almost three years ago. No worries, carry on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pattern Ghost Posted August 10, 2012 Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 Re: How do you build a vampire template in 6E? Hmm' date=' ok, so there was a recent request for vampire stuff. It was just was odd that this thread started almost three years ago. No worries, carry on.[/quote'] Fangs for your concern! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbywolfe Posted August 10, 2012 Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 Re: How do you build a vampire template in 6E? This might be of interest: https://www.herogames.com/viewItem.htm?itemID=250398 Character sheets for multiple types of vampires for only $3.99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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