Vampires possess a number of weaknesses in fiction, ranging from things like sunlight, garlic, a holy cross, running water, or a wooden stake to the heart. The Castlevania series takes a different approach to this, as the 𝔉ultimate weapon for defe൩ating vampires is a magical whip, known as the Vampire Killer.
The Vampire Killer is the chosen weapon of the Belmont family, though a few other skilled individuals have managed to wield its power over the years. The Vampire Killer is often depicted as a whip, but it's sometimes shown as a flail or chain whip, depending on the game. There are lots of vampires hanging around in the multiverse, so we're going to stat out the Vampire Killer from Castlevania as a magic item for DMs to use in their game.
Vampire Killer Stats
The Vampire Killer
Whip, legendary item (requires attunement)
The Vampire Killer whip is a weapon designed for smiting evil in all of its wicked forms. The whip is at its strongest against vampires, where it gains a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls. Any successful hit deals an extra 3d6 radiant damage against vampiric foes. When facing other enemies, the Vampire Killer has a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls.
The wielder of the Vampire Killer whip can quickly spin it like a cyclone to try and deflect missile attacks. The wielder can use their reaction to reduce the damage from a ranged weapon attack by 1d10 + DEX modifier + their character level.
The wielder of the Vampire Killer can cast detect evil and good at will. They can also cast elemental weapon once per day (charge refreshes at dawn), but they can only use it to apply the fire element to the Vampire Killer.
How To Use The Vampire Killer In A Campaign
The Vampire Killer whip is tied to the lore of Castlevania to such a degree that the DM should come up with a new backstory for the weapon, unless they are playing in a homebrew setting that is based on the world of Castlevania. The Castlevania universe actually has a good foundation for a short Dungeons & Dragons campaign, especially as the Belmonts have fought alongside enough characters in the past to accommodate a full party. Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse would make for a great D&D campaign, with a paladin Trevor Belmont, a sorceres🎉s Sypha, a ro𝓰gue Grant DaNasty, and an Eldritch Knight Alucard acting as the party.
In terms of another campaign, the Vampire Killer is best used in ones filled with undead, such as Curse of Strahd. It's a strong weapon in its chosen field, so it should be saved for the later stages of the campaign. The Belmont link can be referenced with an off-hand comment about how the previous wielder was a member of a famous vampire hunter family, bജut he was slain by a foe and their weapon was lost in the conflict. This helps to build up the current foe as a threat, as they were the vampire that took out one of the mythical Belmonts. This can set the players on a quest to find the missing Vampire Killer and see if they are worthy to use its power in battle.