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Vampire 5e: Stat Block, Weaknesses and How to Destroy One
A vampire is a CR 13 undead with AC 16, 144 hit points (195 in 2024), legendary actions and a bite that drains maximum hit points to heal itself. Dropping it to 0 hit points doesn't end it: it turns to mist and flees to its resting place, where it has to be found and finished. Sunlight burns it, running water hurts it, it can't enter a home uninvited, and a stake through the heart pins it. The 2024 vampire loses Regeneration and Children of the Night but gains a stronger melee routine, a Constitution-save bite and +14 initiative.
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Vampire Stat Block (2014)
This is the vampire's true form from SRD 5.1. Its bat and mist forms use the same statistics with the changes described below.
Vampire, Vampire Form
Medium undead (shapechanger), lawful evil
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 144 (17d8+68)
Speed 30 ft.
STR
18 (+4)
DEX
18 (+4)
CON
18 (+4)
INT
17 (+3)
WIS
15 (+2)
CHA
18 (+4)
Saving Throws DEX +9, WIS +7, CHA +9
Skills Perception +7, Stealth +9
Damage Resistances necrotic, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17
Languages the languages it knew in life
Challenge 13 (XP 10,000; PB +5)
Traits
Shapechanger.If the vampire isn't in sunlight or running water, it can use its action to polymorph into a Tiny bat or a Medium cloud of mist, or back into its true form. While in bat form, the vampire can't speak, its walking speed is 5 feet, and it has a flying speed of 30 feet. Its statistics, other than its size and speed, are unchanged. Anything it is wearing transforms with it, but nothing it is carrying does. It reverts to its true form if it dies. While in mist form, the vampire can't take any actions, speak, or manipulate objects. It is weightless, has a flying speed of 20 feet, can hover, and can enter a hostile creature's space and stop there. In addition, if air can pass through a space, the mist can do so without squeezing, and it can't pass through water. It has advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws, and it is immune to all nonmagical damage, except the damage it takes from sunlight.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day).If the vampire fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Misty Escape.When it drops to 0 hit points outside its resting place, the vampire transforms into a cloud of mist (as in the Shapechanger trait) instead of falling unconscious, provided that it isn't in sunlight or running water. If it can't transform, it is destroyed. While it has 0 hit points in mist form, it can't revert to its vampire form, and it must reach its resting place within 2 hours or be destroyed. Once in its resting place, it reverts to its vampire form. It is then paralyzed until it regains at least 1 hit point. After spending 1 hour in its resting place with 0 hit points, it regains 1 hit point.
Regeneration.The vampire regains 20 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point and isn't in sunlight or running water. If the vampire takes radiant damage or damage from holy water, this trait doesn't function at the start of the vampire's next turn.
Spider Climb.The vampire can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Vampire Weaknesses.The vampire has the following flaws: Forbiddance. The vampire can't enter a residence without an invitation from one of the occupants. Harmed by Running Water. The vampire takes 20 acid damage if it ends its turn in running water. Stake to the Heart. If a piercing weapon made of wood is driven into the vampire's heart while the vampire is incapacitated in its resting place, the vampire is paralyzed until the stake is removed. Sunlight Hypersensitivity. The vampire takes 20 radiant damage when it starts its turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
Actions
Multiattack.The vampire makes two attacks, only one of which can be a bite attack.
Unarmed Strike.Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. Instead of dealing damage, the vampire can grapple the target (escape DC 18).
Bite.Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one willing creature, or a creature that is grappled by the vampire, incapacitated, or restrained. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. The target's hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken, and the vampire regains hit points equal to that amount. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. A humanoid slain in this way and then buried in the ground rises the following night as a vampire spawn under the vampire's control.
Charm.The vampire targets one humanoid it can see within 30 ft. of it. If the target can see the vampire, the target must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or be charmed by the vampire. The charmed target regards the vampire as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. Although the target isn't under the vampire's control, it takes the vampire's requests or actions in the most favorable way it can, and it is a willing target for the vampire's bite attack. Each time the vampire or the vampire's companions do anything harmful to the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts 24 hours or until the vampire is destroyed, is on a different plane of existence than the target, or takes a bonus action to end the effect.
Children of the Night (1/Day).The vampire magically calls 2d4 swarms of bats or rats, provided that the sun isn't up. While outdoors, the vampire can call 3d6 wolves instead. The called creatures arrive in 1d4 rounds, acting as allies of the vampire and obeying its spoken commands. The beasts remain for 1 hour, until the vampire dies, or until the vampire dismisses them as a bonus action.
Legendary Actions
The vampire can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The vampire regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Move.The vampire moves up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Unarmed Strike.The vampire makes one unarmed strike.
Bite (Costs 2 Actions).The vampire makes one bite attack.
Stat block from the SRD 5.1 (2014 rules) by Wizards of the Coast, licensed under CC-BY-4.0. Check an encounter with this monster in the encounter calculator.
The 2014 vampire is built around attrition. Regeneration returns 20 hit points at the start of each of its turns unless it took radiant or holy water damage since its last turn or is in sunlight or running water. Its bite heals it by the necrotic damage it deals (about 10). It resists necrotic damage and bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical attacks, so a mundane-weapon party does half damage to a creature that heals 20 a round. Legendary Resistance ignores the party's first three failed saves, and its weak saves are Strength and Constitution (+4) and Intelligence (+3).
The Vampire in the 2024 Rules
SRD 5.2.1 rebuilds the vampire's action economy around grabbing and biting in the same turn.
Vampire, Vampire Form
Medium or Small Undead, Lawful Evil
Armor Class 16
Initiative +14 (24)
Hit Points 195 (23d8 + 92)
Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.
STR
18 (+4)save +4
DEX
18 (+4)save +9
CON
18 (+4)save +9
INT
17 (+3)save +3
WIS
15 (+2)save +7
CHA
18 (+4)save +9
Skills Perception +7, Stealth +9
Resistances necrotic
Senses Darkvision 120 ft.; Passive Perception 17
Languages Common plus two other languages
Challenge 13 (XP 10,000, or 11,500 in lair; PB +5)
Traits
Legendary Resistance (3/Day, or 4/Day in Lair).If the vampire fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Misty Escape.If the vampire drops to 0 Hit Points outside its resting place, the vampire uses Shape-Shift to become mist (no action required). If it can’t use ShapeShift, it is destroyed. While it has 0 Hit Points in mist form, it can’t return to its vampire form, and it must reach its resting place within 2 hours or be destroyed. Once in its resting place, it returns to its vampire form and has the Paralyzed condition until it regains any Hit Points, and it regains 1 Hit Point after spending 1 hour there.
Spider Climb.The vampire can climb difficult surfaces, including along ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Vampire Weakness.The vampire has these weaknesses:
Forbiddance.The vampire can’t enter a residence without an invitation from an occupant.
Running Water.The vampire takes 20 Acid damage if it ends its turn in running water.
Stake to the Heart.If a weapon that deals Piercing damage is driven into the vampire’s heart while the vampire has the Incapacitated condition in its resting place, the vampire has the Paralyzed condition until the weapon is removed.
Sunlight.The vampire takes 20 Radiant damage if it starts its turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, it has Disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
Actions
Multiattack.The vampire makes two Grave Strike attacks and uses Bite.
Grave Strike.Melee Attack Roll: +9, reach 5 ft. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) Bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) Necrotic damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it has the Grappled condition (escape DC 14) from one of two hands.
Bite.Constitution Saving Throw: DC 17, one creature within 5 feet that is willing or that has the Grappled, Incapacitated, or Restrained condition. Failure: 6 (1d4 + 4) Piercing damage plus 13 (3d8) Necrotic damage. The target’s Hit Point maximum decreases by an amount equal to the Necrotic damage taken, and the vampire regains Hit Points equal to that amount. A Humanoid reduced to 0 Hit Points by this damage and then buried rises the following sunset as a Vampire Spawn under the vampire’s control.
Bonus Actions
Charm (Recharge 5–6).The vampire casts Charm Person, requiring no spell components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 17), and the duration is 24 hours. The Charmed target is a willing recipient of the vampire’s Bite, the damage of which doesn’t end the spell. When the spell ends, the target is unaware it was Charmed by the vampire.
Shape-Shift.If the vampire isn’t in sunlight or running water, it shape-shifts into a Tiny bat (Speed 5 ft., Fly Speed 30 ft.) or a Medium cloud of mist (Speed 5 ft., Fly Speed 20 ft. [hover]), or it returns to its vampire form. Anything it is wearing transforms with it. While in bat form, the vampire can’t speak. Its game statistics, other than its size and Speed, are unchanged. While in mist form, the vampire can’t take any actions, speak, or manipulate objects. It is weightless and can enter an enemy’s space and stop there. If air can pass through a space, the mist can do so, but it can’t pass through liquid. It has Resistance to all damage, except the damage it takes from sunlight.
Legendary Actions
Legendary Action Uses: 3 (4 in Lair). Immediately after another creature’s turn, the vampire can expend a use to take one of the following actions. The vampire regains all expended uses at the start of each of its turns.
Beguile.The vampire casts Command, requiring no spell components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 17). The vampire can’t take this action again until the start of its next turn.
Deathless Strike.The vampire moves up to half its Speed, and it makes one Grave Strike attack.
Stat block from the SRD 5.2.1 (2024 rules) by Wizards of the Coast, licensed under CC-BY-4.0. Check an encounter with this monster in the encounter calculator.
2014 Vampire
2024 Vampire
CR (XP)
13 (10,000)
13 (10,000, or 11,500 in its lair)
AC / HP
16 / 144
16 / 195
Speed
30 ft.
40 ft., climb 40 ft.
Initiative
+4 (Dex)
+14
Saving throws
Dex +9, Wis +7, Cha +9
Dex +9, Con +9, Wis +7, Cha +9
Resistances
Necrotic; B/P/S from nonmagical attacks
Necrotic only
Regeneration
20 HP per turn
None
Main attack
Two attacks, one may be a bite: Unarmed Strike +9 (8 damage or grapple, escape DC 18)
Two Grave Strikes, +9, 8 bludgeoning + 7 necrotic each, and each hit grapples a Large or smaller target (escape DC 14), then Bite
Bite
Attack roll +9, 7 piercing + 10 necrotic
DC 17 Constitution save, 6 piercing + 13 necrotic on a failure
Charm
Action, DC 17 Wisdom, a humanoid within 30 ft.
Bonus Action, Recharge 5-6, casts Charm Person (DC 17)
Shape change
Action
Bonus Action
Children of the Night
1/Day, bats, rats or 3d6 wolves
Removed
Legendary actions
3: Move, Unarmed Strike, Bite (costs 2)
3 (4 in lair): Beguile (Command, DC 17), Deathless Strike
Legendary Resistance
3/Day
3/Day (4/Day in lair)
The four changes that matter most:
•No Regeneration. It has 51 more hit points but never heals 20 a round, so the party's damage sticks. Its only healing is its bite.
•It always gets its bite. The 2014 vampire spends an Unarmed Strike grappling before it can bite. In 2024 each Grave Strike grapples a Large or smaller target on a hit, and Multiattack adds the bite on top of both strikes.
•The bite is a save. High AC, Shield and Protection from Evil and Good's Disadvantage don't help against a DC 17 Constitution save.
•Plain weapons work. No resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical attacks, so a party without magic swords can still hurt it.
Vampire Forms: Vampire, Bat and Mist
Outside sunlight and running water, the vampire can turn into a Tiny bat or a Medium cloud of mist, or back. In 2014 this takes its action; in 2024 it's a Bonus Action, so a 2024 vampire can strike and become mist on the same turn.
Vampire form
Bat form
Mist form
Size
Medium (2024: Medium or Small)
Tiny
Medium
Speed
30 ft. (2024: 40 ft., climb 40 ft.)
5 ft., fly 30 ft.
Fly 20 ft., hover (2024 adds 5 ft. walking)
Can speak
Yes
No
No
What it can do
Everything
Bite and Charm (plus Children of the Night in 2014)
No actions; can enter a hostile creature's space and pass through any gap air can
Defenses
As stat block
As stat block
2014: immune to nonmagical damage except sunlight, Advantage on Str, Dex and Con saves. 2024: Resistance to all damage except sunlight
Blocked by
Water (2014) or any liquid (2024)
The 2014 vampire is tagged "Medium undead (shapechanger)". That matters for Polymorph, which has no effect on shapechangers, and for Moonbeam, which shapechangers save against with Disadvantage. The 2024 stat block drops the tag.
Vampire Weaknesses in 5e
Each weakness as the SRD writes it (2014 names the sunlight entry Sunlight Hypersensitivity; 2024 calls it Sunlight):
Weakness
2014
2024
Sunlight
20 radiant damage when it starts its turn in sunlight; Disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks
Same
Running water
20 acid damage if it ends its turn in running water
Same
Forbiddance
Can't enter a residence without an invitation from one of the occupants
Same
Stake to the Heart
A wooden piercing weapon driven into its heart while it is incapacitated in its resting place paralyzes it until the stake is removed
Any weapon that deals piercing damage, same conditions, same result
Radiant damage and holy water
Shut off Regeneration at the start of its next turn
No Regeneration to shut off; holy water still deals radiant damage to Undead
Sunlight or running water vs. its powers
No Regeneration, no shape change, no Misty Escape
No shape change, no Misty Escape
A stake doesn't destroy a vampire in either edition; it keeps it paralyzed, which is why the procedure below matters. A stake does destroy a vampire spawn. Garlic and mirrors appear in neither stat block.
How the Vampire Fights
2014: grab, bite, regenerate. Its best turn is an Unarmed Strike that grapples instead of dealing damage (escape DC 18), then a bite on the grappled target. At +9 against AC 18, each attack hits 60% of the time. Once someone is grappled, a full round looks like this:
about 30, plus about 12 hit points healed by bites and 20 from Regeneration
Every bite also cuts the target's hit point maximum by the necrotic damage until a long rest. Escaping the DC 18 grapple takes an action: a fighter with +8 Athletics escapes 55% of the time, a wizard with +2 Acrobatics 25%.
2024: two strikes, a bite and three more strikes. Its legendary actions are full attacks. Against AC 18:
•Two Grave Strikes: 60% each for 15, about 18 damage. At least one hits (and grapples) 84% of the time.
•Bite on the grappled target: DC 17 Constitution save. A wizard with +2 fails 70% of the time and takes 19. A level 11 fighter with +7 still fails 45% of the time.
•Three Deathless Strikes between other creatures' turns: about 27 more.
That's roughly 56 damage a round against a wizard, most of the 68 hit points a level 11 wizard with Constitution 14 has. And with +14 initiative it usually acts first: a character with +2 beats it about 7% of the time.
Charm the party's protector. The 2014 Charm is an action (DC 17 Wisdom, humanoids only); the 2024 version is a Bonus Action Charm Person that recharges on a 5 or 6. A charmed character is a willing target for the bite (in 2024 the bite doesn't end the charm, and the victim later forgets it). Charm the paladin before the fight and the party's best defender becomes its bodyguard.
Beguile (2024). The legendary Beguile casts Command at DC 17. "Approach" walks the cleric into Grave Strike reach, "Drop" empties a hand of its holy symbol or magic sword, and "Grovel" knocks the archer prone. It can Beguile once between its turns.
Use the room. Spider Climb puts it on the ceiling, out of most melee reach. In 2014, Children of the Night calls 2d4 bat or rat swarms (or 3d6 wolves outdoors) that arrive in 1d4 rounds, so it calls them early.
Leave before 0. A smart vampire doesn't wait for Misty Escape. A 2024 vampire shifts to mist as a Bonus Action and floats through a crack; a 2014 vampire uses its legendary Move to step away without opportunity attacks, then shifts. It returns the next night at full hit points.
Running a Vampire Encounter
A vampire is a campaign villain, not a random encounter. Using the 2024 XP budget for four characters:
Party (4 characters)
Low
Moderate
High
Vampire encounter
Level 10
6,400
9,200
12,400
Vampire alone (10,000) is High; in its lair (11,500) it's still High (within the 12,400 budget)
Level 11
7,600
11,600
16,400
Vampire + 1 vampire spawn (11,800) is High (just over the 11,600 Moderate budget)
Level 12
8,800
14,800
18,800
Vampire + 4 spawn (17,200) is High (17,200 of the 18,800 High budget)
The 2014 Dungeon Master's Guide guidelines (used by our encounter calculator) rate a lone vampire Hard for four level 10 or 11 characters and Medium at level 12. Add two spawn and 13,600 XP doubles to 27,200, Deadly for four characters up to level 15.
The XP math misses two things. Location: a vampire caught far from its coffin near dawn is much weaker than one at midnight in a crypt with a secret exit, so place its resting place before the fight. Legendary Resistance: the first three save-or-suck spells (four in a 2024 lair) will fail, so lead with damage.
How Players Beat a Vampire
Step 1: drop it to 0. In 2014 that means beating Regeneration: radiant damage or holy water every round, plus magic weapons. Holy water is a ranged improvised-weapon attack for 2d6 radiant in 2014; in 2024 it replaces one attack and forces a Dexterity save (DC 8 + Dex modifier + Proficiency Bonus) for 2d8 radiant. Guiding Bolt, Spirit Guardians for a good or neutral cleric and Moonbeam all deal radiant damage.
Step 2: stop the escape, or follow it. A vampire that drops to 0 hit points in sunlight or running water can't become mist and is destroyed. The 2024 Daylight spell fills a 60-foot sphere with real sunlight, so a vampire fought inside it takes 20 radiant a turn, attacks with Disadvantage and dies for good at 0. The 2014 Daylight makes bright light that isn't sunlight and does none of that. Sunbeam's mote of light (6th level) is sunlight in both editions.
Moonbeam can also block the escape. In 2014, a shapechanger makes the Constitution save with Disadvantage (the vampire has +4), and on a failure it can't assume a different form until it leaves the light. Read strictly, a 2014 vampire that failed and then drops to 0 inside the beam can't become mist and is destroyed. The 2024 Moonbeam only reverts and locks a creature that is already shape-shifted when it fails, so it catches a vampire in bat or mist form, not its true form, and the 2024 vampire saves at +9. Expect Legendary Resistance either way.
An escaping mist has 2 hours to reach its resting place; at 20 feet a round that's at most about 4.5 miles, and characters moving 30 feet can follow it.
Step 3: finish it at its resting place. There it reverts to vampire form, Paralyzed at 0 hit points, and regains 1 hit point after an hour. Stake its heart while it's helpless (wooden in 2014, any piercing weapon in 2024) and it stays Paralyzed. Then carry it into sunlight or running water: 20 damage a turn, no regeneration or shape change, and at 0 hit points outside its resting place it is destroyed.
Defend against the charm and the bite. Protection from Evil and Good stops undead from charming the warded creature and imposes Disadvantage on their attacks against it, which covers Grave Strike but not the 2024 bite. Dispel Evil and Good can end an existing charm. Keep low-Constitution characters away from a 2024 vampire's hands.
What doesn't work.Hold Person can't target undead. Polymorph does nothing to a 2014 vampire because it's a shapechanger. Turn Undead (Wisdom save, +7) can work, but Destroy Undead never reaches CR 13.
Vampire Encounter Ideas
The invitation list. Three noble houses in a river city each have a daughter gone pale and sleepy this month. Forbiddance means someone in each house invited the vampire in, and under 2024 rules a charmed host doesn't remember it. The party cross-checks three guest lists for the one name on all of them.
The city of canals. The vampire nests in a canal town, crossing rooftops with Spider Climb and never touching the water. Its resting place is a dry crypt under the old lock-keeper's house. Opening the sluice gates at the right moment floods the crypt with running water, which hurts it and blocks Misty Escape. Opening them early warns it.
Two hours to dawn. The party drops the vampire to 0 at 3 a.m. in a ruined abbey, and mist slides out through the cracked rose window. Its coffin is within a few miles: the abbey crypt, a village mausoleum or the hold of a barge on the river, each guarded by vampire spawn or a 2024 vampire familiar. Follow the mist, split up or wait for daylight; each choice costs something. A long hunt like this spans several sessions, and Loreify can record them so nobody forgets which coffins were already checked.
Frequently Asked Questions
What CR is a vampire in 5e?
A vampire is CR 13 (10,000 XP) in both the 2014 and 2024 rules. In the 2024 rules it's worth 11,500 XP when fought in its lair, where it gets four uses of Legendary Resistance and four legendary actions.
What are a vampire's weaknesses in 5e?
Sunlight (20 radiant damage at the start of its turn, Disadvantage on attacks and ability checks), running water (20 acid damage if it ends its turn there), Forbiddance (it can't enter a residence uninvited) and a stake to the heart, which paralyzes it in its resting place. In 2014, radiant damage and holy water also stop its Regeneration for a turn. Garlic and mirrors aren't in the SRD.
Does a stake through the heart kill a vampire in 5e?
No. It paralyzes the vampire until the stake is removed. To destroy it, reduce it to 0 hit points where it can't turn into mist, such as sunlight or running water. A stake does destroy vampire spawn.
Does the 2024 vampire have Regeneration?
No. It has 195 hit points instead of 144 and heals only through its bite, by the necrotic damage it deals.
How does a vampire create spawn?
A humanoid killed by the bite and then buried rises as a vampire spawn under the vampire's control: the following night in 2014, the following sunset in 2024.
Stat blocks: System Reference Document 5.1 (2014) and 5.2.1 (2024), Wizards of the Coast, CC-BY-4.0. Tactics, encounter math and ideas are Loreify's own.
This page includes material from the System Reference Document 5.1 and 5.2.1 by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Loreify is not affiliated with Wizards of the Coast.