This encounter can be used in any dungeon where you might find it amusing – probably level 5 or higher. I originally used it as part of a dungeon where the players were chasing a vampire. Unfortunately, the vampire had a couple of tricks up his sleeve…
The Vampire Crypt
Read or paraphrase the following to the players:
A thirty-foot square stone chamber is behind the door. Ornate carvings of knights fill the walls, and a great stone bier, a stone coffin atop it, dominates the chamber. The sides of the bier are likewise carved with armoured knights, the symbol of the True Faith prominent on their shields. The slate tiled floor is clean without a speck of dust evident.
Characters may discover the following in the crypt:
Slate Tiled Floor. The slate floor has a faint transmutation magic on it that protects it from the effects of dust but is otherwise normal.
Carvings of Knights. The Knights are members of the Order of the True Faith, depicted in triumph after their defeat of the forces of Orcus two centuries ago, crushing skeletons beneath their feet. A character who succeeds at a DC 10 Intelligence (History) check recalls the war. If a DC 20 is achieved, the character also knows that the leader of the order, Sir Calis, was slain in a confrontation with the Vampire Relicath, who was the leader of the enemy forces.
Stone Bier. A secret panel behind one of the knight’s shields holds a crystal vial with reddish liquid: a potion of greater healing. The panel requires a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check to find. The bier is 10-feet long, 5-feet wide and 5-feet tall.
Stone Coffin. The lid of the coffin depicts an armoured knight with a crown on his helmet, holding a sword in repose. Careful inspection reveals the eye sockets contain small holes – suitable for a vampire movement as mist! The lid may be removed with a successful DC 10 Strength check. The coffin appears to contain the resting form of a vampire wearing a gold necklace studded with rubies, who does not wake when the lid is disturbed, allowing an easy staking. Unfortunately for whoever might try this, the vampire is an illusion – instead the coffin is brim-full with green slime! (DMG, Chapter 4, Adventure Environments). No saving throw is possible if the character immerses their hand in the slime – as is possible if they’re trying to stake or strike the “vampire”. The illusion is a programmed illusion that triggers when the lid is removed. A Nystul’s magic aura means the illusion registers as a necromantic aura to detect magic or similar spells.
General Features. 30-foot square room. No light. Strangely odorless (an effect of the floor magic).