I'm the (unofficial) Vamp ambassador for this cycle of cards! Here’s my thoughts on Vamp:

Methodology: I played five builds that included Vamp through a full campaign. I kept the card in the decks throughout the entire campaign.

A. Trick focused Alessandra (with Vamp) through Innsmouth (paired with Mark) 

 B. Rita and Mandy (each taking vamp) through TFA C. Leo and Gloria (each taking vamp) through Edge of the Earth


In my estimation, Vamp is a strong and versatile card. It has four possible options with two minor prerequisites a) an enemy needs to be at your location and b) you’ll need to be able to pass a difficulty three test in the skill you are testing. The fact that it uses Parley means that playing it does not provoke an attack of opportunity. This is not as relevant for the fight or evade option (as those actions do not provoke AoO) but it comes in handy for the Will or Intellect based option. It only costs 1 resource and has a wild icon for the times when you can’t use it.

This card basically lets you do what you were planning to do on occasion when an enemy happens to be at your location without provoking an attack of opportunity for 1 cost.

The fight and evade options in Vamp are more useful with high Fight or Evade enemies (i.e. higher than the 3 difficulty test on the card) or in multiplayer if the enemy is engaged with another investigator or are aloof. The three difficulty test can be a limiting factor; it leads to situations where someone with a high fight is more likely to use this card for its fight action above the others, and so forth. But I don’t hate that. It’s not that it lets your fighter evade better, it lets them fight better/smarter etc.

The investigate option is nice when your clue gatherer is indisposed. The will option is even more highly situational but it is useful in the right circumstances.

I think with Alessandra - this card is a no-brainer particularly in combination with Chuck Fergus, Fine Clothes, Eldricht Tongue, other Trick treated cards, etc. (NO DON’T TELL ME THERE’S AN UPGRADED VERSION//LEVEL 0 IS MY CARD!!!) In multiplayer, I would seriously consider this card in anyone else as a splash, bearing in mind that three difficulty test. 

Like other parley cards, this one relies on enemies being present and thus is less useful in smaller player counts (less likely to be enough targets to get it to fire) or when enemy management is clearing the board often.


Here are some odd edge case things that happened in my play that made me like this card more:



This card lets you do two damage to enemy via a parley test if you’re Frozen in Fear!



This card can have you evade an enemy you’re not engaged with (including aloof ones); that can be useful in situations where ready enemies do nasty business with doom or other bad effects. 



Overall, I rate this card a 4/5. I love it’s flexibility!