Really even that’s being generous; in the original story the wooden stake was purely functional for holding Dracula in place while they cut off his head. It wasn’t a weapon, they literally drove it into the sleeping body with a hammer. A short length of wood simply doesn’t hold enough of a point to be dangerous in a fight, contrary to what we might have seen on Buffy. The stakes are more just thematic accessories as opposed to general use weapons.
Are there any actual rules for the stakes you get in the haunted one background? Do they have any effect on non vampires?
A stake through the heart will kill almost anything, but there are no special rules for them.
I'd treat a stake as a club that deals piercing damage instead of bludgeoning damage.
Really even that’s being generous; in the original story the wooden stake was purely functional for holding Dracula in place while they cut off his head. It wasn’t a weapon, they literally drove it into the sleeping body with a hammer. A short length of wood simply doesn’t hold enough of a point to be dangerous in a fight, contrary to what we might have seen on Buffy. The stakes are more just thematic accessories as opposed to general use weapons.
Rule-wise a DM could always use improvised weapon, it would still be a downgrade to most other weapons at a character's disposal.