The way to kill vampires in Monster Manual and Curse of Strahd feels very underwhelming and repetitive. Kill them outside their tomb, they go back to their tomb, and you have to go through the exact same fight again. And since I'm reading Dracula, I feel like making a few suggestions to how to give more flavor to Vampire slaying. This is strictly to make it more dramatic, not easier or harder, and I'd love some feedback. This can all be learned via an appropriate religion check, decide difficulty yourself.
A master vampire can only be killed in their lair/tomb/bedroom (or coffin, if you want to go that extra mile). Killing them anywhere else simply causes them to turn to mist the second before the final hit is struck, and reform in their coffin, akin to a lich. This can happen as many times as the vampire needs (not just once a day), but the vampire is weakened, and reforms unconscious.
Killing a vampire in their coffin can be done a few ways:
Holy Powers: Damage originating from the Divine, such as holy water, Radiant damage, or any magical damage dealt by clerics or paladins is enough to kill a vampire directly, as long as they're in their tomb. (this is purely based on the traditional vampire's dislike of the holy)
A stake through the heart: While this would usually only paralyze the vampire, they can be killed permanently by a stake or knife through the heart (or plain old decapitation) if they're under the effect of a Cleric's Turn Undead. (this is based on the fact that Lucy Westenra in Dracula was killed by stake through the heart while Van Helsing read a prayer)
If none of these are available, drowning them in running water while unconscious can do the trick. (Classic D&D vampire weakness)
This one is a bit easy, so ignore it as you wish, but cutting of the head, filling it with garlic, and burning the heart has been known to kill vampires. (One of the methods used against Vampire Lucy)
Of course, all of these might make a Cleric or Paladin feel to OP against vampires, but I feel it's part of the charm.
The way to kill vampires in Monster Manual and Curse of Strahd feels very underwhelming and repetitive. Kill them outside their tomb, they go back to their tomb, and you have to go through the exact same fight again. And since I'm reading Dracula, I feel like making a few suggestions to how to give more flavor to Vampire slaying. This is strictly to make it more dramatic, not easier or harder, and I'd love some feedback. This can all be learned via an appropriate religion check, decide difficulty yourself.
A master vampire can only be killed in their lair/tomb/bedroom (or coffin, if you want to go that extra mile). Killing them anywhere else simply causes them to turn to mist the second before the final hit is struck, and reform in their coffin, akin to a lich. This can happen as many times as the vampire needs (not just once a day), but the vampire is weakened, and reforms unconscious.
Killing a vampire in their coffin can be done a few ways:
Of course, all of these might make a Cleric or Paladin feel to OP against vampires, but I feel it's part of the charm.