Savage Rifts Vampire Defenses
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- The hatred I bestowed
Upon your neck with a fatal blow
From my teeth and my tongue
I've drank and swallowed, but it's just begun
Now you are mine
I'll keep killing you until the end of time
— Faith No More, "Surprise! You're Dead!"
Rifts vampires are complicated, and the list of Weaknesses is so extensive that it's easy to get lost in the blocks of text — especially since they're actually a mix of weaknesses, environmental effects, and instructions. This page takes that information and breaks it down in a way that is hopefully clearer and more easily referenced.
For the purposes of this list, the term "holy" refers to any religion that reveres goodness and light over darkness and evil.
Attacking a Vampire
This list focuses on vampiric defenses against specific types of attacks and damaging effects. See Other Vampire Drawbacks below for miscellaneous weaknesses.
Anything Not On This List: The vampire can be Shaken by the attack, but not Wounded. Remember that...
- Called Shots have no additional effect — except as detailed for Staking, below
- Vampires have +2 to recover from being Shaken
- Vampires have Fast Regeneration — a Vigor roll every round to heal, even from Incapacitation
Holy Symbol: As a Touch Attack (+2 to hit), it does 3d4 damage and the vampire must check Fear. The person wielding it doesn't have to be of that faith. Fast Regeneration can heal this. Cannot destroy the vampire. (See also Other Vampire Drawbacks below.)
Holy Water: A successful roll against Faith skill (for a holy religion) can bless water as an action. It does 1d10 (squirt gun, bucket), 2d10 (hose, super-soaker), or 3d10 (fire hose) damage. TW "water gun" weapons automatically bless their water and do the listed damage to vampires. They cannot regenerate this damage and this can destroy the vampire.
Magic/Psionic Power: Does the Trapping appear on this list?
- Yes: Refer to that entry instead. (Exception: A "sunlight" Trapping on light does no damage, but vampires cannot enter the area or must leave it.)
- No: Does half damage — and any other negative effect is halved, if that would make sense. Fast Regeneration can heal this. Cannot destroy the vampire.
Magic Weapon: As for Magic/Psionics above. Includes TW weapons, Psi-Blades, etc.
Silver Object (non-weapon): As a Touch Attach (+2 to hit), it does 3d4 damage. Fast Regeneration can heal this. Cannot destroy the vampire.
Silver Weapon: Does +4 damage. May be used for Staking (below). Fast Regeneration can heal this. Cannot destroy the vampire.
Staking: A successful Called Shot to the heart (-4 to hit) with a silver or wooden weapon forces the vampire to roll Vigor against the damage total. If successful, they are Stunned. If failed, then (while the weapon is left in place) they are immediately Incapacitated, enter a stasis-like state, lose their Fast Regeneration, and are vulnerable to all normal damage! However, even then most attacks will not destroy the vampire; to accomplish that, the staked vampire must be decapitated and then burned.
Sunlight: If any part of the vampire is exposed, their Move is reduced to 2, they cannot use powers, and they take 2d10 damage every round. They cannot regenerate this damage and this can destroy the vampire. Note that EBA prevents this, but has its own drawbacks (seeVampires and Body Armor, below).
Supernatural Creature: The natural attacks of another vampire, a werebeast, a demon, etc. does normal damage (unless it duplicates one of the other Trappings here). Fast Regeneration can heal this. Cannot destroy the vampire.
Water (non-holy): It generally does no damage, as for normal folks. However, immersing a vampire in a source of natural water (e.g., a flash flood, waterfall, river, or pond) does 3d10 damage every round. They cannot regenerate this damage† and this can destroy the vampire. (See also Other Vampire Drawbacks below.)
Wooden Weapon: It must be entirely wood, not just "has some wood in it." Does +4 damage. May be used for Staking (above). Fast Regeneration can heal this. Cannot destroy the vampire.
† Errata
Other Vampire Drawbacks
Bodies of Water: Vampires are terrified of rivers, ponds, and so on. They cannot fly over, sail over, etc. They can attempt to use a bridge, but must check Fear at -4 to do so. (If they fall in, see Attacking a Vampire, above.)
Garlic and/or Wolf's Bane: If a person is protected by these herbs, a vampire is at -2 to bite them (but not to make other attacks). If a threshold is protected by these herbs, a vampire cannot enter without a successful Spirit check.
Daytime Hours: While the sun is out, vampires suffer an automatic level of Fatigue, even if indoors, underground, etc. If you're playing a Heroic Vampire PC, consider the Conditioned Edge (EOH, p. 33) to offset this. (For the effects of actual sunlight, see both Attacking a Vampire above and Vampires and Armor below.)
Holy Symbol: If a person is protected by one, even if they aren't of that faith, a vampire must win an opposed Spirit check to attack them. (If it's brandished offensively, see Attacking a Vampire, above.)
Other (Passive) Complications: Vampires require a pint of human, mutant, or D-Bee blood each day; treat as Habit (Major). Vampires register as supernatural evil.
Vampires and Armor
Vampires rarely wear more than Stake-Proof Vests in terms of armor. However, they can do so, with the following effects depending on the degree of armor (per B&B, p. 176).
Standard (Non-EBA) Armor: This offers zero protection against sunlight. It does not impair the vampire's abilities in any way.
Environmental Body Armor (EBA): As long as the vampire is wearing a full suit of it, they are protected against sunlight damage! (They still suffer a level of fatigue during daylight hours; see Other Vampire Drawbacks, above.) However, EBA interferes with their abilities; they lose access to shape change and mist form if they're wearing even a partial suit.
Power Armor: As for EBA. This means the vampire cannot use mist form to get in and out of the armor; they must leave it completely first.
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