Preparing for vampires.

[Braininthejar]

The party is preparing to assault a large catacombs complex inhabited by a coven of vampires. They have managed to get a promise of help from the local paladins order, which sends a team of their best to aid them.

The paladins are levels 10-12.

Now, what feat/spell/item configurations would make them actually useful against vampires? I'm looking mostly for things that would let them fight a protracted battle without being mind controlled or level drained (too much)

I know one or two could be soul guards to make them immune to compulsion, but beyond that?

[SolEiji]

Death Ward and Protection from Evil (and its higher versions).  Death Ward is obvious, but note that Protection from Evil suppresses (though does not prevent) compulsions.  As long as their PoE shields are you they will be safe until they can cure themselves.  Mind Blank is probably out of their range for now, but also works more effectively.

Don't forget to bring ways to actually kill the vampires.  Sunlight, garlic, a decanter of endless water to simulate running water, and so forth.  I also recommend they go in tactically, bringing the vampires into traps so that when they defeat it, they don't just flee in gas form.

[Braininthejar]

The general idea is "insta-kill as many as possible (druid spells from the party), beat down the rest, break down the lair to stake the ones that are still healing"

The main problem with death ward is duration. It may take time to reach the lair and with home ground advantage the vampires are likely to prepare an ambush somewhere along the way.

[SolEiji]

If Persist spell, or not being ambushed in the first place, aren't options then how about decoys?  Enter Veil and Mislead.  The former simply makes you not-obviously-the-heroes-coming-to-cleave-and-smite, the latter will need to be cast by everyone somehow, but has a duration of concentration so they can maintain it as long as they like.  Both disrupt ambushes by being the wrong target, or the right target in the wrong place.

And there's always mundane methods of this.  Do a Han Solo, the vampires see a cart, attack.... oh, looks like it was empty after all.  And then Han pokes his head out from the floorboards/chest/other hiding spot as they leave.

[Braininthejar]

When I said it will take time, I meant the party has to descend into catacombs and find the right crypt. (they have a pretty good idea where it is, from a scrying attempt by one of the npc factions.)

[SolEiji]

Ah, I see.  Rougher than.  Given that, I'd probably be focused on buffing one's defenses then, probably Fortitude saves or touch AC.  Or setting yourself on fire.  Vampires can't grab you if you're on fire.

....or was that ninjas?

[Braininthejar]

on fire? hmm. Thoqquas don't have eyes. They should be safe from gaze attacks. also, they are on fire.

Anything for the paladins though? I have a pretty good idea what the party will do. I need something effective for their allies, so that their presence doesn't do more harm than good.

[SolEiji]

I will get back to you on that.  I'm certain their plenty (they are paladins after all) but I cannot recall any off hand, not while I'm busy anyway.  Their spell list is likely chock-full of anti-undead defenses though.  At worst, you could always serve up a hearty garlic parmesan pasta before they go adventuring.

[Solo]

Buy up all the garlic in the region.

[Braininthejar]

 


 


From someone of your caliber, I expected more serious advice. I hardly ever use paladins and have little experience with them

[Solo]

Buy up all the oil in the region, pour it into the catacombs, and light it on fire.

[Braininthejar]

That was the party's first idea.     The problem is, the builders of the catacombs overdid it a bit and hit underground caves - there is a huge hole to Underdark at the bottom level. (which I'm sure the party will use in the next chapter)

Also not the question.

What I was asking about was what feats/spells/items I should use for level 10-12 npc paladins (they are helping the party and I don't want them to become a liability.)

[Solo]

Sacred Radiance, Sacred Vitality, Sacred Vengeance

[Braininthejar]

probably the best use for a paladin's turn attempt. Thank you.


(just occured to me. whoever gets blindsight spell can fight with his eyes closed to ignore vampire gaze - much easier to do than immunity to compulsion)

Any prestige classes I might want to try? (I'm thinking of adding a cleric/doomguide to the paladins' team. Is there any way to get speak with dead spell early?)

[Maat Mons]

The aura of sanctity alternative class feature (Dragon 349, p93) can give a paladin immunity to compulsions.  It replaces turn undead though, which might be problematic if you were going to rely on sacred vitality for protection against energy drain and blood drain. 

A paladin of freedom gets immunity to compulsion effects.  The whole chaotic thing may not work for you though. 

The 3rd eternal order substitution level (Champions of Valor, p39) allows you to "ignore the effects of" negative levels from undead.  I'm not sure if that includes ignoring the part where you die from having too many negative levels, or if it just means you don't take the penalties. 

The font of life feat (Heroes of Horror, p122) gives you a save to avoid negative levels.  With good fortitude saves, that could be quite helpful. 

On a more unusual note, you could go with the paladin variant that gets favored enemy.  There exist ways of adding your favored enemy bonus to saves and AC. 

[linklord231]

Must they all be paladins?  It seems like a Radiant Servant of Pelor Lathander would be a plausible accomplice, and those guys can wreck house against undead. 

[Sleepyphoenixx]

If you're adding a cleric the True Daylight ACF (ECR) lets you turn a Daylight spell into true sunlight with a 10ft radius. As long as you can keep a vampire from escaping with his single move action (so no Gaseus Form) it dies in the next round with no further action on your part. Simple tripping is enough for that.

[Braininthejar]

One more question - if a vampire is brought to 0 hp with disintegrate effect (fort save but affects objects) will he turn into mist or be destroyed?

[SorO_Lost]

Items
Nightstick(LM): +4 turn/day.
Reliquary Holy Symbol(MiC 120): up to +3 turn/day for 1k.
Perfect's Vestment (Raven): +1 turn/day for 6k.
Ephod of Authority (MiC 215): +1 to turning level for 800gp.
Flametouched Iron Holy Symbol (ECS): +1 to turning level for 750gp.
Icon of Ravenloft (Raven): +4 to turning level.
Sacred Armor/Shield Enhancement (A&E): +2 to turning level.
Scepter of the Netherworld (LM): +3 to turning level.
Phylactery of Undead Turning (Core): +4 to turning level.
Moonfriend (Raven): +3 to turning level (doesn't work with rebuke).
Rod of Defiance (LM): opponents have -4 to turn resistance.
Lyre of the Restful Soul (LM): DC 15 perform(string) check to bestow -4 turn resistance.
Greater Holy Symbol (DotF): empower turning at will.

+18 to your effective Turning level and they have -8 if you combine efforst to purchase them all. Just keep nuking them with Turn Undead.

[Braininthejar]

You have to hold a holy symbol when you turn - that's a lot of hands.

They have nuking covered by the druid (lots of solar-based save or dies) and the artificer.

Turning won't be that effective (two priests in the team - one rebukes, which won't fly with the paladins, and the other has crappy turn because of multiclassing.)

Some of those should work for the npc priest though. 


So about that disintegration?