D&D 5E Vampires in 5e

[KarinsDad]

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

It's still worthless if the Vampire's main chance of escape mostly depends on initiative order (and having a crack to slide into within 40 feet, etc.). Meh.

If the designers gave the monster a cool feature, let the monster use it. If the PCs want to kill it while it is in Misty Form, have them cast a Daylight spell.

 

[bganon]

1. Monsters don't get death saves.
2. HP don't go below zero.
3. Misty Escape explicitly describes what happens when a vampire is at zero hp, both in non-misty form (it can change to mist if certain conditions are met) and in misty form (it has 2 hours to try to get back to its resting place).

It's pretty clearly implied that a vampire in mist form at zero hp is not, in fact, destroyed, since it describes a bunch of actions the vampire can take.

So go ahead and firebolt that cloud of mist. No, the vampire is not immune. But a monster at 0 hp that takes 10 points of damage is still at 0 hp. Actually destroying a vampire requires dropping it to zero in its resting place, in sunlight, or in running water. Or you can drop it more than two hours' travel from its resting place and wait for the timer to run out.

 

[Iosue]

1. Monsters don't get death saves.
2. HP don't go below zero.
3. Misty Escape explicitly describes what happens when a vampire is at zero hp, both in non-misty form (it can change to mist if certain conditions are met) and in misty form (it has 2 hours to try to get back to its resting place).

It's pretty clearly implied that a vampire in mist form at zero hp is not, in fact, destroyed, since it describes a bunch of actions the vampire can take.

So go ahead and firebolt that cloud of mist. No, the vampire is not immune. But a monster at 0 hp that takes 10 points of damage is still at 0 hp. Actually destroying a vampire requires dropping it to zero in its resting place, in sunlight, or in running water. Or you can drop it more than two hours' travel from its resting place and wait for the timer to run out.

I can get behind that call.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

Actually destroying a vampire requires dropping it to zero in its resting place, in sunlight, or in running water. Or you can drop it more than two hours' travel from its resting place and wait for the timer to run out.

The first one does not kill it. That would just turn it into mist again were it would appear back in it's resting place. You would have to stake it.

Another reason why just attacking it's mist form would be useless. If it did something they would not have brought up the specific ways to disable or destroy it like staking it.

Listen I already checked rules as intended is that you can't harm it at 0 hp. Just like you can't harm a dead bugbear at 0 hp. Sure you could chop off the bugbears head and stuff. But when your made of mist I don't think getting hit will do anything.

The rules for hurting the vampire in mist form are just for during battle when the Vampire is actively turning into mist to retreat and stuff.

Here is something that should help you people. If the rules are not clear enough for you fall back on how it was before. In every prior edition once a vampire did this, they could not be harmed. Added on it's much cooler to fallow the mist back to the coffin then just trying to hit the retreating mist.

 

[Thunderfoot]

Stake them, cut off the head, burn the body to ash, and bury the ashes at a crossroad or in running water. Its the only way to be sure.

you forgot to stuff the mouth with garlic and to bury the head at a separate location, preferably underwater (running of course).

 

[KarinsDad]

I can get behind that call.

Why not? It appears to be designer intent. Their wording leaves a bit to be desired (there are 2 or 3 cases of "what if" that they didn't appear to cover), but the intent seems to be fairly clear.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

Why not? It appears to be designer intent. Their wording leaves a bit to be desired (there are 2 or 3 cases of "what if" that they didn't appear to cover), but the intent seems to be fairly clear.

He said I can not can't.

 

[KarinsDad]

He said I can not can't.

Reading is fundamental. I hate getting old.

 

[Gillywonka]

Now that you've read all the good replies, what do you want to happen, or how do you want to handle it in your campaigns? I say, if you want the firebolt to damage it in misty form, then it does. If not, then it doesn't. Do what works for you. And if it changes, no big. The PCs aren't vampire experts and they shouldn't know anyways (disallow the metagaming of previous gamer knowledge). If they are vampire experts, then decide at that point.

 

[Azurewraith]

That won't kill them ether. It would just turn them back into Mist. Which would then reform into the vampire as it's already at the destination.



Anyway once a vampire has been turned into mist at 0 hit points it can't really be harmed as doing any more damage to it won't cause the thing to make death saves due to it's unique nature and negative hit points not existing. AKA it's useless to hit it at this point and following it back to it's coffin is the only way this works.

Im assuming the fireball would destroy the coffin leaving a vampire in mist form nowhere to go.