D&D 5E Vampires in 5e

[Eric V]

I meant, why don't vampires make death saves? Where does it say they don't?

 

[MonsterEnvy]

I meant, why don't vampires make death saves? Where does it say they don't?

The fact they are not dying is why.

 

[Agamon]

I meant, why don't vampires make death saves? Where does it say they don't?

Monsters and Death, page 198. Monsters don't make death saves, unless the DM makes them a special case.

 

[Ovinomancer]

I think people are making this too difficult. A non-PC, non-DM special monster dies at zero hit points. Vampires have a special ability that says that when they hit zero the first time, they go misty. This doesn't make vampires special in or have different rules in any other way, it just says that they get a one time extra chance at zero. If they take more damage after that, they're out of extra special chances and die like all the other monsters at zero. Yes, it would be clearer if they reset back to 1 hitpoint when they go misty, but even as is you don't need to make up other rules to make vampires work as written -- they die when they take more damage while misty.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

I think people are making this too difficult. A non-PC, non-DM special monster dies at zero hit points. Vampires have a special ability that says that when they hit zero the first time, they go misty. This doesn't make vampires special in or have different rules in any other way, it just says that they get a one time extra chance at zero. If they take more damage after that, they're out of extra special chances and die like all the other monsters at zero. Yes, it would be clearer if they reset back to 1 hitpoint when they go misty, but even as is you don't need to make up other rules to make vampires work as written -- they die when they take more damage while misty.

They don't however as it outlined the only ways to kill them. Magic stuff can be used to damage them while they are misty. This is for when you are battling the Vamp and they use it in the middle of battle to escape or something. If you actually defeat them they turn into mist and go back to their coffin, in this misty state they can't be harmed. As the rules and the intention is that they are invincible while at 0 hit points and in mist form.

 

[Eric V]

I'd be much more inclined to believe they are invulnerable in Misty Form after being reduced to 0 hp if, in that very description, it didn't very specifically state "see Shapechanger" to reference said Misty Form, which only outlines immunity to non-magical (and non-sunlight) damage.

The way you are describing it, they are 2 separate powers. The MM specifically says they aren't.

If this were the first version of a D&D vampire, if we weren't coming to this with previous edition vampire lore...I honestly don't think we'd have that reading of the (admittedly, poorly written) vampire rules.

-E

 

[Eric V]

The fact they are not dying is why.

Aren't they, though? After being reduced to 0, they have a limited time to get to positive hp, or they are destroyed/dead. Just like PCs.

 

[Iosue]

I don't see any reason why vampires should have death saves. They have their own, independent system for when they reach 0 hp.

That said, I don't see any reason why they should be invulnerable to magic spells when in their misty form at 0 hp. As Eric V. notes, Misty Escape says they turn into a cloud of mist as in the Shapechanger trait, and the Shapechanger trait says they are immune to non-magical weapons, aside from sunlight. Ergo, if they shapechange into a mist during the battle, you can Fire Bolt them. If they go to 0 hp and turn to mist, you can Fire Bolt them and they die the Final Death if you hit. Heck, you can do with a hit from a +1 sword.

 

[KarinsDad]

I have to go with the interpretation that a simple FireBolt is not going to kill a misty vampire, regardless of how the rules read. That makes Misty Escape kind of worthless. The odds of a Vampire having the next initiative after one PC takes him to zero hit points (assuming that the PC that did that does not have an additional magical attack) is low (1 in 4 if attacked by a party of 4 PCs) and any save for half damage spell would take it out.

That's silly and too literal of a rules interpretation for me.

 

[Eric V]

That makes Misty Escape kind of worthless.

Not when one considers every other monster simply dies at 0hp...