Vampire Type Builds

Hello, everyone!

I've checked in the forums for this subject, and there has been a fair amount of discussion. However, the majority of it is from before 2011, and there have been many updates and additions to COX since then. So, I thought I'd get a fresh perspective from the community on this subject.

As a point of reference, I am a huge fan of Forever Knight, and that is the style I'm reaching for in constructing a new character. I'm leaning heavily to play it as a dark hero. So, I will be making my start in Paragon. Thankfully, we now have the option to start most AT's where we wish.

Generally, I view Vampires as close proximity combatants. That tends to suggest close-combat builds. However, there are a few holes in those builds if I am going to reach for all the characteristics that make up these nocturnal beings.

So, what do you think? Are there any new possibilities generated by late additions to the game? If I'm stuck with a melee AT, then what options do I have to include the hypnotic/mental powers that Vampires possess?

Thanks for your feedback!





Stormistress

Well one possibility for a Vampire is a human-form Warshade. I've seen a few of them being used for Vampire-style characters.

Another option would be a Domiantor. A Mind/Dark Dominator is a bit more of a Ranged character than you may want but does combine mental powers with the forces of darkness.

Now assuming you do stick with a melee character and want some hypnotic/mental powers I do have a suggestion but you'll need to wait for Issue 24 for it to really work. In any case my suggestion is the Presence Pool. It's a bit naff right now but it's getting overhauled in I24 and the changes to Intimidate and Invoke Panic should work quite well as a Vampire mind controlling his foes (ok, technically they do it now as well but they're so weak they aren't really worth using).

Well, I was looking into doing a Dark/Psi Dominator around a similar concept. Plenty of good vampire-ish powers in that combo. Dark/Mental Blasters would be about the same.

Bio Armor (minus the graphics, which you will be able to do for the most part) might be good as well for a more melee flare.

A Fortunata could also represent a vampire's abilities well, if you mix in some claw attacks with the mental abilities. Then go Soul Mastery for some dark abilities.


If you want to stick with melee, the best attack set to approximate a vampire is probably Dark Melee if you're going straight-up vampire. But many movie vampires/vampire-like beings have used weapons, so you could go Dual Blade, Broadsword, or Katana as well.


Basically, there are a TON of options for vampires, given their bevy of sources over the years. So I think we'd need more info on exactly what type of vampire you're going for. Anne Rice's series? Blade? Bram Stoker? Twilight (please say no)?

You could also go the beast mastermind route.

Just a bit of power customizing gives you bats instead of hawks/ravens, and dark wolves to do your bidding. Which leaves you to choose your flavor of a secondary, probably pain domination or dark miamasa, though a case could be made for some of the others, depending on how hard you want to roleplay this character.

Thank you for the interesting replies so far.

I agree that Warshade powers can look quite foreboding but I've had trouble customizing PB and WS powers. They don't seem to allow much alteration.

I've considered Dominators, and Mind Control does have some powers that are attractive for Vampires. There was a suggestion under another forum topic to consider a Dark/Time Corruptor. That has some possibilities as well. Although the visuals are not really what I'm looking for.

For a melee AT I'm considering a Dark/WP set: perhaps a Scrapper for maximum burst damage. It has a fear power and a life draining ability (for that blood sucking affect). Will Power also has some abilities that seem fitting for Vampires: rapid healing, toughness, and vast amounts of endurance.

I was tempted to go with a Stalker, but I don't recall the Vampires in Forever Knight disappearing. They just moved very fast, and (of course) can fly.

Please keep the suggestions coming. I'm not completely decided yet.





Stormistress

Well, here's what I got from Wikipedia, but please correct where appropriate:

Water Blast tinted dark red works well for a Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain type vampire with blood manipulation. A Water Blast/Dark Manipulation or a Water Blast/Psi Manipulation would have ranged blood blood attacks, melee attacks, mind control (Touch of Fear/World of Confusion etc).

A Water/Time Corruptor works well too, and is really powerful in game.

I'm making a new Vampire character right now... using red Water Blast.

And it will be DELIGHTFUL.

Edit: Scooped :<

Edit2: Water/Time Corruptor looks very... bloody with Dark particles using a bright and dark red.

I24 Proc Chance = (Enhanced Recharge + Activation Time) * (Current PPM * 1.25) / 60*(1 + .75*(.15*Radius - 0.011*Radius*(360-Arc)/30))
Single Target Radius = 0. AoE Non-Cone Arc = 360.

How about Dark Melee/Bio Armor Stalker, with the carapace animation overlays hidden? If your vampire is of the "shapeshifter" kind, you could tie the different adaptations to different forms (wolf, bat, etc). DNA Siphon works on defeated enemies as well as live ones.

Favourite vampire I've seen was Fire/SS. So tough he mocked the sun as it tried to burn him alive.

Personally I'd go Inv or DA with some type of weapon set.

I made a vampire costume for my WB/Kin corr. And I colored the water blasts and kin powers blood red. It looks awesome, literally like he is shooting and draining blood. Dehydrate is outstanding. As is Geyser and Water Blast. Fun times!

Step 1: Watch "Hellsing: Ultimate."
Step 2: Realize that Alucard is the most badass vampire (really, character) ever.
Step 3: Make a dual pistols/dark miasma corruptor
Step 4: Profit!

Make a dom, let it charge up, but don't actually click domination. You'll be nice and sparkly.

Edit: added smiley.

I'd go with a stalker... you can justify the "disappearing" as a mind control trick. But Stalkers strike me as the most "Vampire" like of the AT's in the came. The game doesn't really have "bite" attacks.. but hey you can't have everything.

An Arachnos Widow (Night Widow) build would be my second choice. I'm pretty sure you can skip the stealth.. you can also pick a mix of mental and melee powers. They survive well... IMHO.

A Dark/WP brute or a Mind/Dark Dominator would emulate the "Vampyri" NPC's in game.

I have a Vampire character who is a Necro/Poison MM... but I could see a Beast/Dark MM working out better as someone else suggested.. (A Beast MM with the Bat's aura.. would be hilarious...)

For melee, Dark/Dark might be a good choice; multiple mezzes (to simulate mind control), and Dark Melee colored red looks quite bloody.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stone Daemon You could also go the beast mastermind route. Just a bit of power customizing gives you bats instead of hawks/ravens, and dark wolves to do your bidding. Which leaves you to choose your flavor of a secondary, probably pain domination or dark miamasa, though a case could be made for some of the others, depending on how hard you want to roleplay this character.

Ha; I actually have a Beast/Dark vampire, named The Father of the Night. (Dracula: "Listen to them - children of the night. What music they make!”).

Psi/Bio Scrapper

Soon as we get Psi Melee....

I am a fan of vampires as well especially if it has something to do with the World of Darkness-Vampire the Masquerade.

I'm going to make a Nosferatu when Bio Armor hits. He's going to be StJ/Bio which is perfect for a Nosferatu. I had a Malkavian and a Tremere but I deleted them...I might remake them soon.

Hello again, all!

I'm very pleased to see a lively discussion. Certainly many good ideas for a variety of vampire types.

In keeping with the Forever Knight theme, I decided to stay with melee type AT's. I have built a Dark/WP Scrapper and reached level 12, where I took my first fear power. I plan to take the Presence pool to expand on that effect. However, the flavor of the character will not be fully realized until the mid-20's.

That is also the time when I start including defense powers. So, the character right now feels a bit vulnerable. The look and actions seem right, though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RiverOcean I'd go with a stalker... you can justify the "disappearing" as a mind control trick. But Stalkers strike me as the most "Vampire" like of the AT's in the came. The game doesn't really have "bite" attacks.. but hey you can't have everything.

Even though making a Stalker was mentioned earlier, I hadn't considered some of the other effects that Hide might simulate. This could double as extreme speed, or an overpowering mental force. People around you are just forced to believe that you never existed in the first place. Very intriguing.

So, before I purchase my first set of basic I/O's for my scrapper I will run a test build as a Dark/WP Stalker. I can copy the outfit over and see how she does. I will also look over the other Stalker secondaries to see if any are a better fit.

Thanks!





Stormistress

I actually think that something and /kin would be great, maybe water blast. Kinetics literally is stealing the life force of an enemy and making it yours (siphon speed, siphon power, transfusion, transference, etc.), and water blast colored in red would look like blood. Kinetics is also a very melee oriented set, even though it's coupled with a ranged AT.

Please Storm remember to pick up the Stalker ATO proc. It is worth your while....TRUST ME.

Hello everyone.

I've started my test build of my vampire as a Stalker. I'm using Dark Melee as my primary as I did on my Scrapper.

I wanted to use Willpower but found in my Midis plan that I was missing 1/2 of my regen. That is due to different powers being available to Stalkers compared to Scrappers. So, I've elected to try Dark Armor. Not as much resist, but Dark Regen can be a particularly potent source of healing. It also fits the theme of a life-sucking being.

I will also be taking the Presence pool here, but later in the build. I get an area fear power to use in melee in the 20's. From what I've seen on my other Stalkers I expect CoF to be suppressed until I un-Hide.

My only problem right now is getting Dark Armor to look right. I want just a small mist around the character, and I'm still struggling to get the settings right.

Only level 4, but the build looks to have potential. I'll let you know where I ultimately take this.




Stormistress

The great thing about vampires is that there are so many dimensions to them. Certainly a lot that can easily be conveyed in our game too.

Super strength
super speed
dark melee
invulnerability
mind control
psi assault
dark control
darkness affinity (sorta)
willpower
dark armor
street justice
super reflexes
martial arts
you could do DP/AR if you were a Death Dealer type from Underworld
Katana/dual blades/broadsword
illusion

I see you've already started a stalker. Don't stop there- you can make a whole coven of vampire characters!

I have a DM/SR brute that is thematically a vampire...but not really.

He's a mutant, and his backstory is that he is a direct descendant of Vlad the Impaler (AKA Dracula). Dracula wasn't actually a vampire, he was a mutant with vampire-like abilities. Since no one knew what a mutant was back then, his powers were attributed to the supernatural instead.

Just my own twist on it.