D&D 5E Vampires in 5e

[Eric V]

Nothing. The best thing to do is to follow the mist back to the coffin and stake the vampire while it regenerates.

Why nothing? I'm looking for something I might have mist (spelling error intended) that would support this answer (which I believe would have been the correct answer in 2e).

 

[Agamon]

Why nothing? I'm looking for something I might have mist (spelling error intended) that would support this answer (which I believe would have been the correct answer in 2e).

The only support I think of is logic. If it's so simple to snuff it out after the change, what's the point? I believe the RAI is that sunlight is required to destroy it in that form, it just wasn't written very well.

 

[epithet]

The vampire doesn't make death saves, he's got 2 hours to puff himself back to his coffin or he dies. When he's doing his misty escape thing, the only way to kill him is to do magical damage equal to his hit points in one shot to get the "instant death" effect.

Misty escape is intended to make your party go searching for the coffin. It's funny when they think they can just follow the cloud, too... you can lead them into all sorts of fun adventures.

 

[Eric V]

Why does it not have to make death saves, but it still follows the rules for instant death?

 

[Eric V]

The only support I think of is logic. If it's so simple to snuff it out after the change, what's the point? I believe the RAI is that sunlight is required to destroy it in that form, it just wasn't written very well.

Maybe, though running water seems to do the trick too.

Is there any other monster that is still active at 0 hp?

 

[Ovinomancer]

The vampire doesn't make death saves, he's got 2 hours to puff himself back to his coffin or he dies. When he's doing his misty escape thing, the only way to kill him is to do magical damage equal to his hit points in one shot to get the "instant death" effect.

Misty escape is intended to make your party go searching for the coffin. It's funny when they think they can just follow the cloud, too... you can lead them into all sorts of fun adventures.

Not sure I follow that, as that would make the vamp unique among monsters without any call out to this effect. The mist form still works as a last gasp ability, especially if the vamp squeezes through a crack out drain right off. Otherwise, you need a magic weapon or a holy man or a mage of some stripe to end it.

 

[Ristamar]

The only support I think of is logic. If it's so simple to snuff it out after the change, what's the point? I believe the RAI is that sunlight is required to destroy it in that form, it just wasn't written very well.

It is poorly written. I'm guessing there should be a sentence in there stating a vampire is immune to all damage except from sunlight (and running water?) while in mist form with 0 hit points. Maybe it'll show up in the errata.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

Pretty much what Zaran said except don't stake it. Staking a vamp merely paralyzes them not kill them just lob a fireball at the coffin

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.

 

[Eric V]

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...

Where is that from?

 

[MonsterEnvy]

Where is that from?

It's how the Death Rules work. Vampires don't make death saves so if reduced to 0 hit point and in Mist Form by the rules they can't be killed. Combined with the fact that unlike most other monsters they explicitly can't die at 0 hit points.