Vampire Hunter
by Syntari

Class: Any
Tag: VPHT

Introduction

The vampire hunter is often one of two things. A member of a splinter-group of the clergy, or an average person who's been or had a loved one hurt by a vampire. Typically, the Priest will be played as a Sorcerer, while the Hunter is a Rogue or Warrior. These two groups will be split for this variant, and treated differently.

Rules

At any chance they get, Vampire Hunters (both types) will destroy the following enemies...

- El Chupacabras (a vampire-like creature from Puerto Rico)
- Succubi (which are somewhat vampiric)
- Zombies (of all types) and Black Deaths especially
- Skeletons

Whenever plausible (not too difficult to attempt, but still giving decent experience in the highest difficulty possible), they will fight in the Catacombs, a den of undead.

Items

Armor

Priest: The priest has been trained to hunt vampires, and knows that his agility and strength are all going to be taxed in fighting the supernatural. To that end, he will avoid constricting and heavy armors, and will generally fall back on the old-fashioned Robe or a Cloak.

Hunter: The hunter lacks the priest's training or knowledge, and knows only that big, thick metal keeps claws, hands, and teeth away from his(her) skin. To this end, (s)he will wear the largest armors they can lift, ignoring lighter-weight defenses even when they have more beneficial properties. I.e., the hunter will, under any circumstances, choose Splint Mail over Scale, and Gothic Plate over Field, etc.

Helms

Priest: The priest wears any headgear that protects his neck, as a rule. This includes Caps, Helms, Full Helms, and Great Helms, although he much prefers a Cap for the same reasons he prefers a Robe.

Hunter: See above for much the same reasons. The only difference is that the Hunter has no qualms about using the largest helm possible, and will under any circumstances choose a Helm over a Cap, Great Helm over Full, etc.

Jewelry

Priest: The clergy, in general, doesn't condone the wearing of jewels. However, they are regarded as semi-necessary under certain circumstances. Imminent death due to blood loss is one of these. Suffixes are only allowed if they increase strength (YOU try driving a stake through a centuries-old supernatural being when he doesn't want it done), makes them more healthy to survive a bite that gets through. Whenever possible, at least one jewel must add to light radius (everyone knows Vampires hate light). Prefixes that resist magic are preferred best (this includes those that resist all), and will be used before any other until Resist Magic is max (this means even an Obs/Titans can only be used if no (white-ish clear) jewel grants more % resist than it).

Hunter: While the average person doesn't wear that much jewelry (except perhaps a Rogue), Gold Crosses (Amulets) are much preferred, as are family heirlooms (unique rings) for luck. Gold crosses don't usually have suffixes, but an occasional well crafted one may show images of (the) Heaven(s), Stars, or the Zodiac cycle, or similar things. (+all)

Shields
Neither group uses a shield. The priest is unable to, and still wield his enormous stakes, and the hunter prefers a two-handed swing to drive more power into the blow.

Weapons

Priest: The priest knows exactly what gets at vampires, or at least, what the clergy has trained him to think does. To start out, he will use a Dagger, a small stake to drive into a vampire, but when available, he will upgrade to using Staves. More specifically, Composite and War Staves, the bladed types, to act as longer and stronger stakes.

Hunter: Even the hunter knows the superstitions and lore of vampires to some degree. Because of this, he prefers to use Hammers and Mauls to drive in stakes, and for crushing the other undead horrors that keep company with the lower ranks of vampires. Should neither of those be available, he will work with the largest sword he can, either driving it as a stake, or attempting to cleave off parts of the vampire indiscriminately. In addition, he will employ the use of a Crossbow if the opportunity presents itself, do to the fact that (in real life, at least :P) it provides a strong blow.

Enchantments

Priest: The priest relies on his agility and strength to fight vampires (+dex and +str), and must be hale to withstand the life-draining attacks of such horrors (+vit). They, being clergy, have a high preference for Blessed, Holy, and even Godly items (a lot of good it'll do ya on a Robe or Cap... at least Wirt'll be in your favor now ;) ). For the same reasons, they prefer holy weapons, those of the Lord, Champion (of the meek? Isn't that one of many biblical phrases?), or King (of Kings). Haste is shunned as promoting rash action, and the suffix slot of his Stake would be much better to go toward the blessings of an Angel or Arch-Angel.

Hunter: Hunters, being typically peasants, often subscribe to the belief that precious items ward off vampires. For the same reason they use their heirlooms for warding, they love to have their armors encrusted in Diamonds or Rubies, or even less precious stones such as Jade, Cobalt, or Topaz (Amber, Crimson, Red, Blue, and White aren't counted among these, as they aren't precious stones or gems). They are true fans of good blacksmithing, having never been able to afford any before, and would never leave the chance behind to wield a weapon forged for a Knight or King (all other +hit/+dam are included), along with items which are more durable than normal (Craftsman, Durability, Structure, or Ages). They will employ items of the Leech, and Blood, which surely must harm vampires more than others, since they need to take others', and will use items of Speed and Haste.

Spells

Priest: Priests have a small range of spells to fight evil. Holy Bolt is a favorite, as is Inferno. Healing is used and needed, and Heal Other is a simply variation of it that can be put to good use. Firebolt is useful in incinerating the undead, and Town Portal is used for both utility and quick escapes. The power of Lightning (that is, _normal_ Lightning) is often harnessed, and Phasing is useful for quick escapes.

Hunter: Hunters use very little spells. They have learned how to Heal themselves and others, and how to make their way quickly from the dungeon to town (Town Portal).