Which effect takes place?

[Presto2112]

Forgive me if this question has been asked before, but I noticed something interesting this morning.

This is an exerpt from the disintegrate spell:

Any creature reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by this spell is entirely disintegrated, leaving behind only a trace of fine dust.

This is an exerpt from the Vampire:

If reduced to 0 hit points in combat, it automatically assumes gaseous form and attempts to escape.

So if you hit a vampire with a disintegrate, which one happens, turn to dust, or gaseous form? I know SOMETHING will happen, because disintegrate is a spell that affects objects.

 

[Thanee]

A cloud of fine dust particles?

Bye
Thanee

P.S. What happens with vampires, that get reduced to 0 hit points while not in combat?

 

[Owen K.C. Stephens]

I'd certainly let a disintigrate kill a vampire, unless it was important to the plot it survive, in which case the PCs would be warned well in advance it was an exceptional vampire.

Even then, it would be out of action for a bit while it pulled itself together.

 

[anon]

I like tough vamps so let it assume gaseous.

As for the rules interpretation--no idea.

 

[Deset Gled]

So if you hit a vampire with a disintegrate, which one happens, turn to dust, or gaseous form?

I'd say both.

Creatures in gaseous form have damage reduction 10/magic. Spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities affect them normally.

Note that the disintegrate spell will affect the vampire the same in gaseous form as it would in solid form. I see no contradiction in the rules that would stop both effects from occuring simultaneously. Either way, the vampire is dust in the wind. Same old song. Just a drop of water in an endless sea.

 

[mvincent]

the disintegrate spell will affect the vampire the same in gaseous form as it would in solid form.

That may not be a truism, as the rules say "Any additional damage dealt to a vampire forced into gaseous form has no effect."

 

[Vegepygmy]

So if you hit a vampire with a disintegrate, which one happens, turn to dust, or gaseous form?

Gaseous form. The disintegrate rule describes what generally happens to targets reduced to 0 hp; the gaseous form rule describes what specifically happens to vampires reduced to 0 hp. Specific rules trump general rules.

 

[Deset Gled]

That may not be a truism, as the rules say "Any additional damage dealt to a vampire forced into gaseous form has no effect."

Unfortunately, that won't help the vampire.

Any creature reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by this spell is entirely disintegrated, leaving behind only a trace of fine dust.

The spell does not need to deal any additional damage. Once the vampire is reduced to 0 HP, he is disintegrated. The fact that the vampire takes no additional damage does not stop this effect. And, as my quote from the Gaseous Form ability shows above, the vampire is still vulnerable to all other spell effects.

 

[mvincent]

as my quote from the Gaseous Form ability shows above, the vampire is still vulnerable to all other spell effects.

Not the damaging ones, no. Unlike a normal gaseous individual, the Vampire is now immune to damage.

 

[pallandrome]

ah, but the "being turned to dust" is a spell effect, not damage. The spell doesn't DO damage after the vampire gets to 0. it just disintegrates them. I say that if the vampire is disintegrated to 0, then a spell effect takes over, and destroys the vampire form as it tries to go gaseous. Unless otherwise is required by plot of course.