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I haven't done a lot with vampires in D&D in the past, but I'm currently writing an adventure that uses one as a trap and I'd love to get feedback from the community on the viability of this plot device:
I know that D&D vampires are not killed by a stake in the heart, but are effectively held paralyzed as long as it remains there, so I've set up a dungeon trap that, when triggered, mechanically retracts a wooden stake from the heart of a vampire elsewhere in the dungeon. (With the intention of releasing a powerful guardian.) My basic question is: what state would a D&D vampire be in if it was staked for several decades, waiting for a group of intruders to trigger this effect? Some specific points of concern:
- Would the vampire be able to quickly recover to a combat-ready state? Or would it be weakened? (I'm guessing it would be suffering the damage in hit points from the original impalement, until the damage healed.)
- Would the vampire be aware of the time that had passed? (For example, if it was conscious when it was staked, would it remain conscious but immobile for the intervening years?)
- What if the wooden stake deteriorated over the years, and rotted away? Would the vampire regain its mobility instantly, or gradually over a period of days/months/years?
I'm considering the use of this plot as a way of unleasing a major villain of the adventure, so any advice would be quite welcome.
Thanks!