In the rules, it states that negative levels you currently have count you as one caster level lower for level dependent variables. Does this also apply to class abilites that you receive at certain class levels, i.e. number of uses of lay on hands, number of smites, etc.?
Second question. To kill a vampire, you have to go through the stake, chop, and sprinkle, but how do you make the vampire helpless to begin with? You can't knock them unconscious, and pinned doesn't count as "helpless." Other than DM fiat, what way is there to kill a vampire without going to its nest and without a vorpal blade?
Third: all natural attacks made by vampries impart the negative levels, not just the slam attack specifically, correct?
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Negative levels vs class abilities: If that ability has any variable based on class level, then yes. This definitely includes the dice rolled for things like channel energy, lay on hands, sneak attack, etc, but not necessarily the times per day (only if the times per day is dependent on the character's level).
Helpless: A helpless character is paralyzed, held, bound, sleeping, unconscious, or otherwise completely at an opponent's mercy. A helpless target is treated as having a Dexterity of 0 (–5 modifier). Melee attacks against a helpless target get a +4 bonus (equivalent to attacking a prone target). Ranged attacks get no special bonus against helpless targets. Rogues can sneak attack helpless targets.
I'd say pinned qualifies as helpless.
Also, if a vampire is defeated in combat (reduced to 0 hp or less), it returns to it's resting place where it remains helpless for 1 hour as it regenerates.
A common tactic of vampire hunters is to capture a vampire alive so it may be bound and staked, thus destroying it without the need to search for it's lair. If it's lair is known, it's just pounded until it turns to gas and retreats, then is staked in its lair.
A common tactic of vampire hunters is to capture a vampire alive so it may be bound and staked, thus destroying it without the need to search for it's lair. If it's lair is known, it's just pounded until it turns to gas and retreats, then is staked in its lair.
Capturing a vampire alive is no minor task. This is a creature that can turn to mist at will, after all. Any vampire worth his salt would turn to a mist early and lead the hunters on a wild goose chase, or just fly away.
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RAW, Pinned isn't quite helpless. The penalties aren't as severe, and you can't CdG a pinned opponent.
Realistically, by DM fiat, you might be able to pull it off. There are two complications: first, many pins would shield the vampire's heart from staking. Second, the vampire is at least minimally mobile. If the party wants to try this, I'd say that the pinning character has to take a penalty of about -4 to CMB to pin the vampire to represent the fact that it's more difficult to hold it in place for staking than to just hold it down. Then a second adjacent PC could stake it as a full-round action as long as the staking character acts before the vampire. There might be some additional failure chance to represent the slightly-less-than-helpless vampire. As soon as the vampire gets a turn, he will assume Gaseous Form and escape the pin.
If you want to avoid tracking the vampire down and don't want to negotiate pinning conditions, I'd try and trap the Gaseous Form. It can pass through tiny cracks but not through a perfectly solid surface, water, wind wall, or force effects. If you can knock a vampire to 0 HP and wall it in with those barriers long enough that it can't reach its lair (as long as 2 hours, depending on how far the lair is), it dies. One or two castings of Wall of Stone is probably the most effective for long-term sealing.
Since the Gaseous Form ability mimics a transmutation spell, Break Enchantment might be able to get rid of it, but I think I remember a debate over whether using that spell against Su abilities was RAW.
A common tactic of vampire hunters is to capture a vampire alive so it may be bound and staked, thus destroying it without the need to search for it's lair. If it's lair is known, it's just pounded until it turns to gas and retreats, then is staked in its lair.Capturing a vampire alive is no minor task. This is a creature that can turn to mist at will, after all. Any vampire worth his salt would turn to a mist early and lead the hunters on a wild goose chase, or just fly away.
The mist form is Supernatural Ability, so it can be undone with an Antimagic Field.