[Elektrycerze3]

Hoi!

I'm currently GMing a game centered around vampire hunting. So far I've been mostly using slightly modified versions of the vampire critter from the core book. Of course that is not enough for a continuous campaign =)

So here is my question: how should I go about creating Prime Runner vampire antagonists?

I've tried applying the vampire template from 4e Runner's Companion and I've tried simply assigning the stats as I see fit, but either way it seems that I'm having a hard time balancing that stuff against my party.

Maybe you have some experience? Advice? =)

As an added question, are vampires in 5e really supposed to be Dual Natured? I can't remember reading anything about that change in Storm Front.

Thanks in advance.

[martinchaen]

How are you having a hard time; in other words, is the balance skewed in favour of the party (i.e. they're on the same power level) or the vampire antagonist (i.e. he or she is far beyond the players)?

I would personally use High Life instead of Prime Runner rules to make something like this, but that's assuming you're making an old, established vampire who's seriously powerful. Plenty of vampires are fairly... ehem... "fresh", if you get my gist.

As for dual natured, I believe they are supposed to be, yes. Seems to me that they should have been in SR4, too, as they're paracritters just like ghouls.

[Elektrycerze3]

How are you having a hard time; in other words, is the balance skewed in favour of the party (i.e. they're on the same power level) or the vampire antagonist (i.e. he or she is far beyond the players)?

I would personally use High Life instead of Prime Runner rules to make something like this, but that's assuming you're making an old, established vampire who's seriously powerful. Plenty of vampires are fairly... ehem... "fresh", if you get my gist.

As for dual natured, I believe they are supposed to be, yes. Seems to me that they should have been in SR4, too, as they're paracritters just like ghouls.

The balance is off completely: sometimes my players wipe the floor with the vampires, sometimes they have to burn edge =(

High Life... I like that idea, thanks. But I am afraid it will only add to the balance problem.

But they didn't have it, according to multiple SR4 sources. It must be quite a big change for them. I wonder if that would be reflected in the fluff.

[Michael Chandra]

Old vampires likely will have some sort of solid powerbase, and High Life also means they have far higher Priorities. Solid magic, attributes, skills, etc.

[RulezLawyerZ]

Hoi!

I'm currently GMing a game centered around vampire hunting. So far I've been mostly using slightly modified versions of the vampire critter from the core book. Of course that is not enough for a continuous campaign =)

So here is my question: how should I go about creating Prime Runner vampire antagonists?

I've tried applying the vampire template from 4e Runner's Companion and I've tried simply assigning the stats as I see fit, but either way it seems that I'm having a hard time balancing that stuff against my party.

Maybe you have some experience? Advice? =)

As an added question, are vampires in 5e really supposed to be Dual Natured? I can't remember reading anything about that change in Storm Front.

Thanks in advance.

Hmmm... So, if you're going for a Blade-style game, where the air is full of vampire ash, maybe pick a grunt or lieutenant template and give 'em the vamp package. If your runners are having too easy of a time, add the Professionalism rating to each roll. If they're walking all over them, have the vamps call for back-up, or even just call the police. Or pop open a couple of gas grenades loaded with NeuroStun (or Seven-7). Go Go Gadget Immunity to Toxins!

If you're going for a Big Bad, go with the priority system (maybe +10 or +20% or so), maybe 2x or 3x the runners' current Karma, and all the limiters off. Hey, it should be a tough fight, right?

As for the changes, Storm Front had a section about how it's getting harder to live as a ghoul; I can't remember if it applied to all Infected, but it certainly sounds like it may have.

[Namikaze]

As for the changes, Storm Front had a section about how it's getting harder to live as a ghoul; I can't remember if it applied to all Infected, but it certainly sounds like it may have.

Yes, indeed the changes seem to be affecting all Infected.  I'm hoping to see something more on this soon.  It appears to be distinct from CFD, or Stolen Souls would have talked about it.

[Mirikon]

The balance is off completely: sometimes my players wipe the floor with the vampires, sometimes they have to burn edge =(

That's the problem with using Vampires and other Infected as the basis of a campaign. When you're dealing with the kinds of powers the Infected have, it takes only a little intelligence on the antagonist's part (or some bad rolls by the party) to turn what might be an easy kill into utter chaos. And that's before you consider that Vampires are all spellcasters, too, and you know the way certain spells can turn the tide completely in an instant. Having the street sam with the assault rifle and APDS suddenly fall to Control Actions and start blasting the rest of the party can result in a quick TPK if the dice gods aren't very kind to your players. Also note that Essence lost to a vampire's abilities does not come back, which can be crippling to your mages and potentially deadly to your sammies, since if you go down to 0 Essence, you die.

But this is what will happen when you decide to start hunting down prey that is as intelligent or more than your party, and has the power to do seriously nasty drek. You know how in Buffy there were some vampires that were easily staked, and there were some that Buffy just couldn't seem to kill, and nearly wiped her out several times? That's not even taking into account a vampire using magic. You're going to have mooks, and you're going to have bosses. But when the mooks are all spellcasters with additional powers, it doesn't take much planning to make your party's life miserable.

[Lanaya]

Mirikon: All vampires have a magic stat, but they're not all spellcasters. The description is fairly clear on that. As for essence drain, you have to be either willing or incapable of resisting and it takes quite a while to drain anything, so it's much scarier in theory than in practice. If an enemy can knock you unconscious and spend several uninterrupted minutes alone with you then they're perfectly capable of putting a few bullets through your brain. Losing essence in that situation is a lot better than losing your life.