# What is in a Vampire's lair?



## aliberator (May 7, 2003)

I am making an adventure for my PCs where they must invade a Vampire's stronghold.  My problem is whenever I make an adventure like this all the room's end up much the same.  I have a throne room, torture chamber, treasure vault, library, bedrooms, unused kitchen (Vampire's don't eat after all), dinning room, and so forth.  Blah.  Eventually all my adventures end up having the same rooms albeit with minor differences.  What other types of rooms might a Vampire have that could spice up my adventure and make his stronghold unique?  Thanks!


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## Drakron (May 7, 2003)

Nothing really, only a secret area with is coffin and perhaps several easier to find false areas with trapped coffins to wear down the party.


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## shadoe (May 7, 2003)

It is not what types of rooms that should make it different, but the organization of the rooms that should set the tone. For a vampire, use the standard rooms but with no doors or hallways, just cracks that lead from one room to the next, nothing much bigger that rat sized. And maybe include some false rooms with conections that are trapped/ guarded by various servants. 

Also don't think of the kitchen as being unused, make it look very used with a larder full of victims in cages that the vampire can feed on at will. 

Just some stray thoughts.


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## digitaldark (May 7, 2003)

You could have the vampire live in a large mansion...here's a site with mansion floor plans.. http://www.serianni.com/wh5.htm


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## Harlock (May 7, 2003)

The Virgin in White room (lots of pretty young ladies in diaphanous white gowns)

The Used kitchen (includes crazy straws with dried flaky blood inside them)

The Coffin Room (be interesting, include a King Size or Double Coffin, even vampires need lovin')

The enormous walk-in closet (vampires have all those trendy goth clothes from Hot Topics {bleh!})

The media room (stacks of old tomes on religion, history, and how to pick up virginal young ladies in diaphanous white gowns)

Ditch the torture chamber.  Vampires have no need to torture, they seduce.  Might change this into a cozy more normal type of love nest, sans coffin.

More seriously, think about your vampire.  Is s/he an older one that's been at this quite a while?  Did s/he buy this house used or have it custom built by an ensorcelled victim?  If it's an older house with a younger more newish vampire it could have all the normal amenities of a manor type house.  If it's an older vampire a lot of this stuff could be in disrepair or completely overhauled to fit a vampires needs.  Vampires do not need to torture, they rely on charm and enchantment and mind control to get what they want.  Fear does not help that.  It would need to be a place to put people at ease.  To feel like they are in the presence of a gracious host who is both meek yet charismatic at the same time.  Comfortable furniture, lived-in but clean looking rooms, faint smells of fresh baked bread or sweets wafting in from the kitchen area.  The kind of place you'd never want to leave.  And if you're the vampire, hopefully the party never will.  You could include a darker seedier side to the place as well behind secret doors.  Have a wine cellar that magically stores blood in vintage bottles or some tragic silliness like that.  If you feel you're in a rut, maybe try looking into Toolbox from AEG.  It's a great book loaded with tables you can roll randomly on or simply flip to the room description tables for inspiration.


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## seasong (May 7, 2003)

Small, 3" steam pipes leading into and out of the house, and between rooms. Maybe large enough for a rat, but with grills covering them. Sometimes the rats can be seen behind them, but usually not.

Somewhere in the house is the rat's lair. There are only two ways into this lair - through the 3" pipes or through the "disposal bin". When the vampire has killed someone and doesn't want them to rise back up, he dumps 'em down there for the rats to eat. This oubliette toilet should be damnably hard to get out of if you can't turn to mist.

If you can turn to mist, of course, this is the full-on secret passage to every place in the house.


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## Kid Charlemagne (May 7, 2003)

I would consider who/what the Vampire was in life.  He'll typically have similar interests, so use that.  A former bard might have a organ room,  halls filled with musical instruments, or perhapsa ballroom or two.  A nobleman might have a castle full of undead servants who still cowtow to him.  A formerly rich farmer might have miles of untended fields, and stables full of animals (who will be constantly trying to escape their undead master, thus requiring him to send his minion/fieldhands to round them up again).

Think of what he was like in life, and then twist it a little into a mockery of that thing.


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## Darth Shoju (May 7, 2003)

*vampire*

I'm assuming you have the vampire living in a castle or large manor? Just a thought but perhaps the vampire could inhabit a location he wouldn't have in life. Maybe his lair is more of a place of convenience, or whatever he could find on short notice. Perhaps he just doesn't have access to a castle/manor. 

Just some ideas, but maybe an abandoned temple/abbey off in some semi-remote location, with a small population nearby that is also fairly remote from the rest of the countryside (so word of his activities doesn't get back to some vampire hunters or something). Or perhaps he's in a system of caves, inhabited by other creatures that he controls or has a deal with. How about he lives underwater, in a sunken ship or some such thing? (undead don't need to breath, right?  ). 

Basically, any abandoned building in a remote location would work. You could even put him in a city, have him be rather brazen and just use his vampire powers to conceal his presence (sort of like Bram Stoker's _Dracula_...not exactly but that general idea). A powerful vampire in a city can cause all sorts of trouble.  

You could even have a traveling caravan of vampires. They could be traveling entertainers or a carnival of some sorts (or even gypsies of sorts). They could stop in an area, subtly take a few victims and then move on, maybe even using their supernatural powers to make the dissappearances look like the work of something else (wolves perhaps). 

Anyway, just a bunch of thoughts. I guess I kinda wandered from your original post topic but I just thought I'd brainstorm with ya.


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## Voadam (May 7, 2003)

An art gallery with all sunny daylight scenes.

depends upon the vampire's personality, was he a warlord who kept trophies?

Was he a wizard with lots of experiments?

Was he a noble with lots of art?

Guest rooms?

Servants quarters?


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## frankthedm (May 7, 2003)

Contact poison on everything the bloodsucker can afford. especialy door handles.

Multi levels without stairs with only mist sized wholes for passage.

Non  Flamable Poision gas in the coffin rooms. The vampire won't be breathing and niether will his uninvited guests.


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## Steven (May 7, 2003)

It really should be dependant on the vampire itself.  Lots of different things should be taken into account: Is he a minion of another vampire?  Does he have something that haunts him from his past?  Is he a mournful soul who despises his vampirism or has he embraced the call of the night?  Has he had intruders before?  What is the area surrounding his "lair" like?  Is he in an area full of superstitious peasants, or a metropoiltan city's graveyard?  After taking these things and more into account you should place what you feel best suits that specific vampire.  Decide on what kind of personality you want him to have, and extend that personality out into his "lair", make it an extension of himself.  With a little time and work you can make the vampire's "lair" extremely memorable to any who would dare to enter it.    Anyway, that's my 2 cents, or maybe less.


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## LGodamus (May 7, 2003)

ummmm   how about a vampire?


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## 333 Dave (May 7, 2003)

A large dining hall.
Guest room.
Wine cellar. "I don't drink.... wine"
Absolutly no mirrors.
No windows or only opaque windows (so sunlight can't get in but he can open it and fly out if need be). 
Doors. Mist holes and stuff aren't guest friendly. And you must be friendly to guests.


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## jdavis (May 7, 2003)

LGodamus said:
			
		

> *ummmm   how about a vampire? *




Drats once again I arrive to late for the obvious pun 

I'd have to go with the it' depends crowd. Last time I did a vampire lair it was distinguished more by the vampire's guards and servants than by it's layout. I'd go with lots of fun undead, some wargs, and I was always fond of vargoilles and creeping claws just for the creepy effect, they are not much of a challenge but flying heads and hands crawling around (I had hundreds of them crawling around everywhere like spiders) add to the atmosphere. He had a Death Tyrant Beholder guarding his coffin and a 12 step magic trap guarding his treasure and he had several vampire spawns as servants and guards and a vampire with levels of fighter as a personal bodyguard (the main Vampire was a Cleric of Nerull). Some of the room features were rooms covered with cobwebs because they had not been used in hundreds of years (such as the kitchen) abd several cells for storing the living until he was ready to either eat them or turn them into vampire spawn. He also had several escape routes built in so he could move straight to his coffin room or out of the lair from any room (in mist form).


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## Zaruthustran (May 7, 2003)

*Make it tragic, make it real.*

Vampires have lots of time. Time to take up very intricate, tedious projects. When faced with eternity, and with the inability to easily travel, they need something to keep from going crazy with cabin fever.

So..

Miniatures room
Maybe a large room that contains a miniature replica of the entire country--or world. The vampire, with his high Dexterity and ability to float around, can create incredibly detailed miniatures. Think of the most intricate model railroad set you've ever seen and multiply it by 11.

Art room
I really liked the idea of paintings of sunny scenes. Maybe the vampire, what with his super senses and all, has taken up art. Thousands and thousands of incredibly well-painted canvases, either carefully filed or discarded in heaps. Fantasticly realistic sculptures. Maddeningly clever poems. Impossibly intricate orchestras. 

Sun room
A room filled with artificial light, done up to look like a beach, or a field of flowers, or something else the vampire will never see again. Maybe it has a magical sunrise or sunset, complete with heat and a moving sun crawling across a domed sky. Everything in this room is mechanical or Conjuration, since Illusions don't work on vampires.

Record room
The vampire, being removed from life, has collected records of the lives of others: stories and histories, of course, but also stolen love letters, deeds, wills, doctor's notes, prescriptions, party invitations, obituaries, birth certificates, tax records, grocery receipts--anything that proves that a person exists and is connected to the web of life. The vampire collects them, admires them, despairs over them. 

Portrait room
Similar to the above. The vampire tends to kill whoever he gets close to, so he admires from afar--often, for centuries. This room is covered in portraits of a family through the ages. Either his own, or his children's, or a stranger's. Think of the crazy Robin Williams character in 1 Hour Photo.

Trophy room
This room contains trophies of would-be vampire hunters. Instead of being boastful, the room contains honorable tributes to the lives of these deceased heroes. The vampire admires their courage, and despairs over having to end their lives. Among the trophies are tributes to the loved ones the vampire hunters left behind (and perhaps records of financial recompass that the vampire had delivered anonymously). Of course, the (locked) room next to this one contains the mad, undead shells of these heroes.

Mirror room
This room contains hundreds of mirrors each mirror has a garment next to it, and on the mirror's surface is a painting of the vampire wearing that garment. In this way, the vampire can pretend that she is trying on clothes and admiring herself.

Room of Sensation
Vampires have super senses. This room is filled with music, breezes, scents, herbs, textures, exotic art, and light. Magical devices control the sensations, and they are real--Conjuration-based, since Illusions would be useless.

Room of Solitude
See above. This room is for sensory-deprivation. Perhaps a (clean) water-filled room with permanent Darkness and Silence spells.

Game room
Billiards, darts, cards, and the like, but also vampire-only games of skill, such as speed or balance games beyond human ability. Also: "role-playing games", which let the vampire do good, become a hero, love, see the sun--all in his imagination.

Map room
The vampire cannot easily travel, so he travels through maps. Lots of maps. Maybe he sends out expeditions so he can explore vicariously. Perhaps he has a crystal ball, or a magical spyglass that casts clairvoyance on attuned baubles (which he distributes around the world). 


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Those are a just a few. Have fun!

-z


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## Moe Ronalds (May 8, 2003)

Sunblock factory.


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## Larry Fitz (May 8, 2003)

A room full of cursed mirrors...  after all the vampire can't activate them...

LOTS of illusions, again the vampire is not affected,

a desecrated abbey...

lots of bedrooms

no working bathrooms or outhouses

a huge library and musical conservatory with antique instruments.

Large grounds with dire wolves roaming the property...

and every good Vampire lair needs an insabe "Renfield" like character....


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## The_Gneech (May 8, 2003)

* Insane, soulless servants
* Vampire spawn
* Hee-yuge spiderwebs that the vampire seems to pass through without leaving a trace but that snarl up living mortals
* Hee-yuge spider who spun same
* A carriage house with a nightmare
* Twisty catacombs filled with creepy things
* An enormous portrait of who the vampire _was_
* Recently-deceased PCs who will rise in time to attack their former party members

   -The Gneech


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## demiurge1138 (May 8, 2003)

- Books. Lots of books. They have all the time in the world, after all.
-No stairs. All movement from floor to floor is done through gaseous form.
-A "tasting room", where the vampire keeps samples of his previous victim's blood.
-Coffins laid all throughout the house. One in each room, maybe. Some are trapped, some are empty, some have portals to the Negative Plane.
-Fountains of water dyed red with cantrips. Just to put the PCs on edge...

Demiurge out.


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## MGibster (May 8, 2003)

aliberator said:
			
		

> *I am making an adventure for my PCs where they must invade a Vampire's stronghold.  My problem is whenever I make an adventure like this all the room's end up much the same.  I have a throne room, torture chamber, treasure vault, library, bedrooms, unused kitchen (Vampire's don't eat after all), dinning room, and so forth.  Blah.  Eventually all my adventures end up having the same rooms albeit with minor differences.  What other types of rooms might a Vampire have that could spice up my adventure and make his stronghold unique?  Thanks! *




Picture this.  Every evening when the Vampire rises from his unholy slumber he is greeted by a sumptuous banquet prepared by his servants at his orders.  No, he doesn't eat anything but it is his own pathetic way of denying what he is by surrounding himself with the trappings of mortality.  

There are all sorts of other rooms one might find in a wealthy household.  

Music Room:  Piano or organ, sheet music, some other instruments
Nursery:  Perhaps our Vampire kidnaps children once in a while to raise as his own.
Billiard/Game Room:  A room where men get together, smoke cigars, drink, and play games.  
Tea Room:  A room where ladies get together, drink tea, play cards, and gossip.  
Garden:  Some manors might have rooms in the center of the household with glass ceilings and a garden year round.
Pool Room:  A room with a pool for recreation not bathing.
Utility Rooms:  Stuff like laundry, closets with supplies, and that kind of thing. 
Special Bedrooms:  Give bedrooms a personal feel.  For example make a bedroom appear as though it belonged to a young man or a young woman.  

Make an effort to ensure that the house seems like a somewhat natural place for a human being to live.  Even if the current occupant isn't human the house should still reflect that it was built for human occupation.  

Marc


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## Bran Blackbyrd (May 8, 2003)

After being around for a few millennia collecting property gets old. Truly ancient vampires are jaded. If a vamp that old still wants to go on, he's probably set up with a very spartan, very impenetrable lair. Something like a needle sized tunnel that is bored a few hundred yards into the side of a mountain. The tunnel would lead to a "room" just large enough for the vampire to fit in when prone. The tunnel would slope ever so slightly down from room to entrance so that dangerous liquids can't be poured into his sleeping area, and there'd be an antechamber above the tunnel halfway up where dangerous gasses can collect before they reach said room. 
It would be more difficult, but said tunnel could also be made with so many 90 degree turns in it that nothing could be pumped in unless it was pressurized and there was an escape route for the air in the tunnel.

Slightly younger vampires might have huge castles/mansions filled with artwork, literature and beautiful architecture. The vampire would probably be surrounded by servants (coerced or simply loyal) like dancers, acrobats, musicians, poets... Just to keep them from becoming bored with existence. Like other older vampires, they probably have an impressively secure sleeping area, possibly off the premises of their "home".

New vampires are probably feeling invulnerable and think they'll never die (you know, like teens) and are putting their energy into collecting wealth and having a good time. After a few near-death experiences at the hands of adventurers the vamp will either die, or wise up.


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## aliberator (May 8, 2003)

Cool ideas everyone, thanks a lot for the help!


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