Dungeon hazards that Vampyres shrug off, but hurt humans?

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Dungeon hazards that Vampyres shrug off, but hurt humans?

Post by Skyrock »

System used is D&D 5e, although it shouldn't play a big role.

For my Halloween game, I'm prepping a dungeon in form of a monster-infested tenement in one of the abandonded areas in Richemulot's Pont-a-Museau. One of the major factions in it are vampyres, who have walled of 1 1/2 floors for themselves and have only one big logical chokepoint to enter their area from below, the same one they use to leave and to lead human prey from the city through. (There are more thinkable entry points dependent on special abilities or spells such as levitate or climb speeds, but for the typical human who would stumble upon the vampyre lair there is only one logical way.) - I've employed the 5e DMG's Random Dungeon Table to guide and inspire me, and lo and behold, this choke-point would be home to a dungeon hazard.

It would be very logical if the vampyres places there a hazard that greatly inconveniences (demi-)humans, but is harmless to vampyres.

The official examples for dungeon hazards are various molds, green slime and webs, of which none is less dangerous to vampyres than to mortals.
My first idea is to work off the AD&D 2nd idea that vampyres inhabit a higher rung on the food chain than (demi-)humans, and inhabit it with a pest such as bats (classic and classy) or gnats (in reference to the Crimson Court in Darkest Dungeon) who shy away from vampyres, but gladly attack humans. They might have a secondary effect of making the target drowsy and/or more vulnerable to being charmed, which plays to the vampyre's abilities and hunting tactics.
Any better ideas around?
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Re: Dungeon hazards that Vampyres shrug off, but hurt humans

Post by Chronische »

Rivals like leeches, giant mosquitos (stirges) or giant ticks work, as a hazard and means of spreading some sort of illness or poison. Swarms of biting flies that are infected with a fast-acting illness, one that gives Disadvantage on saves vs Charm perhaps. Some forms of toxic gas, maybe, that doesn't work on their unusual physiology. Perhaps they've refined their own saliva into an aerosolized spray that they can trap things with, or put onto darts or blades. They might have large numbers of feral cats, some unusually large (use a Dire Wolf, perhaps, or a Lion) that serve as faithful companions.
Lacking the undead abilities is a bit of a trick, because then you're just asking 'what sorts of traps or hazards do monsters use', because that answer then becomes nearly anything. I recommend reading Grimtooth's Traps if you want some inspiration for that, at least.

Perhaps they have a number of early warning systems (bells connected to tightly strung wire, animals in cages freaking out, that sort of thing) that then lets them start activating planned traps. For instance, the alarm goes off - first move is to seal the exits, so a portcullis cuts off their escape. Then they need to start cutting them off and herding them into an ambush, so more portcullises could do that.. or releasing stuff into the chokepoint. Lions, like I said before, would herd most people pretty effectively, because only fools and adventurers would turn to fight them!
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Re: Dungeon hazards that Vampyres shrug off, but hurt humans

Post by Skyrock »

I went with gnats. Sadly no one failed their save, but it sure kept the party on the toes and forced the ones making it to the chokepoint to quickly scramble too far into the vampyre lair and get them into a jam.

They ended up in a very intense fight being cornered by the vampyres, with 2/3 of the party being charmed - and the last clear-thinking member, the Monster Slayer Ranger, casting Protection vs Evil and Good on herself before surrendering and willingly "offering" herself as a submissive blood dolly and keeping up the charade until day sleep (and then backstabbing her "masters").
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Re: Dungeon hazards that Vampyres shrug off, but hurt humans

Post by Rock of the Fraternity »

Yikes.... That took some cast iron nerves!
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Re: Dungeon hazards that Vampyres shrug off, but hurt humans

Post by Gonzoron of the FoS »

Epic!
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Re: Dungeon hazards that Vampyres shrug off, but hurt humans

Post by Skyrock »

It was intense. This one decisive spell turned a guaranteed TPK into a dicey opportunity to save the day - and they managed to save themselves barely, with the charmed party members temporarily snapped out of their charm through PfE&G spells, slaying an inattentive vampyre guard with nothing but cantrips and then scrambling away into the daylit streets of the desolate parts of Pont-a-Museau as far away as they could.

Vampyres are very nasty and underappreciated monsters.
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