D&D 5E Vampire v. Ocean: FIGHT!

[Sunseeker]

So here I am working on a semi-pirate-plane-of-evil setting and I'm reading through the vampire weaknesses and it got me thinking, does an ocean count as "running water"? Oceans have currents so technically it is "running" but not in the same sense that a river or stream is running. How large does a piece of water need to be in order to either no longer qualify as "running"? Can a vampire take a shower? I realize that question is silly, but earlier editions used to define depth or size of the water, ie: a vampire could jump over or walk though a couple feet of ankle-deep water, but they couldn't wade through a waist-deep river. The 5e rule just says "ends it's turn in running water". Well, that includes taking a shower, or even a bath in some cases. Would it be reasonable to suggest that vampire merfolk would be immune to this effect since water is their natural habitat?

I suppose I could DM handwaive and argue that the water and land is tainted and simply ignore this effect except in special situations, since arguably it stems from the idea that water is pure and therefore damaging to vampires.

Anyway, what say you all about my potential 5th-edition vampire pirates? Sink or swim?

 

[DaveDash]

Why don't you make these a different type of vampires that arent effected by water, but are effected by land in the same way? They can use charmed thralls to do their business on land for them.

 

[TarionzCousin]

I don't know if the ocean can defeat the vampire, but I bet the vampire can't defeat the ocean!

Oceans have tides. They move quite a bit. That's good enough for me.

The U.S. Great Lakes also have tides, but they are so small (less than five centimeters) as to be unnoticeable. I would say that lakes are not "running water."



P.S. I'm glad I don't have this issue in any of my games.

 

[Thyrwyn]

I would say that the reference to running water refers to fresh water, so salt water wouldn't hinder them. Vampires had to get to America somehow

 

[Paraxis]

As the DM just adapt it to your story.

I could see a pirate vampire being fine on his ship as long as there is earth from his his homeland in a layer across the inside hull of the ship, but he needs a crew to board other ships for he can't end his turn on them.

Maybe the vampire is fine as long as he has dirt from his grave in his boots.

Hmm just reread the rule and it is "ends it turn in running water" so doesn't have any issue unless he is submerged in the ocean.

 

[Voort]

Perhaps you adapt the Vampire Shark?

http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2015/02/fishermen-catch-rare-goblin-shark-vampire-of-the-deep/

 

[ProphetSword]

It depends. Who is the vampire and what is the armor class of the ocean?

 

[tuxgeo]

It has been decades since I have read the novel "Dracula" by Bram Stoker. However, I believe I recall in that book (or was it somewhere else?) that the undead Count was transported oversea in his coffin, and could only get out of his coffin and disembark onto the English dock at the top of the tide or at the bottom of the tide, when the tidewater was neither rushing up the Thames nor receding down the Thames.

Or did he disembark at Portsmouth or Southampton, on salt water instead of fresh? I forget now.

 

[iserith]

So here I am working on a semi-pirate-plane-of-evil setting and I'm reading through the vampire weaknesses and it got me thinking, does an ocean count as "running water"? Oceans have currents so technically it is "running" but not in the same sense that a river or stream is running. How large does a piece of water need to be in order to either no longer qualify as "running"? Can a vampire take a shower? I realize that question is silly, but earlier editions used to define depth or size of the water, ie: a vampire could jump over or walk though a couple feet of ankle-deep water, but they couldn't wade through a waist-deep river. The 5e rule just says "ends it's turn in running water". Well, that includes taking a shower, or even a bath in some cases. Would it be reasonable to suggest that vampire merfolk would be immune to this effect since water is their natural habitat?

I suppose I could DM handwaive and argue that the water and land is tainted and simply ignore this effect except in special situations, since arguably it stems from the idea that water is pure and therefore damaging to vampires.

Anyway, what say you all about my potential 5th-edition vampire pirates? Sink or swim?

I say "flumph" rules that get in the way.

Make them sahuagin vampires called "vampreys" that are right at home in water - running or otherwise - and carry on.

 

[tuxgeo]

"Vampreys?" What?

Le boo. Le hiss.
(I did snorkle a little bit at that, though.)