The vampire's renowned recuperative powers do have their limitations, however. A vampire cannot grow back a severed portion of its body. However, apart from the obvious periodic inconveniences, injuries like these will not critically impair a vampire's "life" or efficacy. The only substances that cause a vampire pain and injury are weapons made of pure silver, and to a lesser degree - unless it penetrates the heart - wood. Complete decapitation of the head will destroy the vampire. Piercing the vampire's heart with wood or silver will also destroy a vampire. A wooden stake or silver blade prevents the heart from supplying ichor to the rest of the body. If the stake or blade is removed, however, even if the creature's body has crumbled to dust, the vampire's supernatural vitality will restore its body in the condition it had before it was destroyed, returning it to "life". It is important to mention that vampires do not "die" immediately when being pierced through the heart. Many vampire hunters have been killed from the mighty death throes of vampires after they have been pierced through the heart. Furthermore, it has been recorded that some of the more powerful vampires were able to remove the wood or silver instrument before "death" occurred. It is recommended that the creature be held at bay with holy objects while the impaling is performed.

There are only two sure methods of destroying a vampire permanently. One is to expose the vampire to direct sunlight and then scatter its ashes. Another is to pierce its heart with either wood or silver, stuffing the head with garlic cloves, and then severing it from the body. The head and body should then be burned in two separate places, scattering the two subsequent piles of ashes in separate locations.

In closing, it should also be cited that in some cases when a vampire has been destroyed, the body releases a kind of "spectral energy", often manifesting itself as concussive force. This force has often been described as a kinetic "explosion", able to shatter glass and windows; toss furniture in the air; and knock an average-sized man to the ground. In cases where powerful vampires or Vampire Regents were dispatched, enormous discharges of pneumatic and kinetic force were experienced. In rarer cases still, extreme electromagnetic disturbances (often electromotive in nature) were witnessed upon destruction. The vampire hunter should be cautious of this phenomena when destroying "older" or more powerful vampires.