From what I have read, it seems that at the very least a vampire can, technically by the rules, be slain with magic weapons or spell damage as it's making an escape in it's mist form. The question I'd ask is whether this is something most DM's would allow, or whether most perhaps feel the intent behind the rules is for the party to track the mist back to the lair & coffin for staking?
Also, if the group has a Sun Sword (Blade?) at their disposal and are able to put the vampire in a patch of daylight (from the swords radius) while at 0 hit points and in Mist Shape, should that kill them? I'm running 'Curse of Strahd' and planning ahead. Thanks very much in advance on this!
Yes to all, I think. Killing a vampire outright looks very doable with a Sun blade’s bright sunlight. If it can’t convert to mist form when it hits 0 hp, it is destroyed. As you said, it would take spells or magic weapons to kill it once it is in mist form because it is immune to nonmagical damage. It can’t take actions (which I would extend to Dashing as an action), but still gets movement and can get through any space air can. So it should still be easy to get away in many enclosed spaces with ventilation of some kind. (Up a chimney like santa claus looks like a good strategy.) But with a speed of only 20 ft in mist form, they should be catchable as well. But as the mist can’t travel in daylight, it seems it should be easy to lose in dark or foggy conditions. And a strategic vampire probably wouldn’t plan to be absent from the structure his burial ground was in during daylight. So the mist shouldn’t have far to go or have to travel by day.
From what I have read, it seems that at the very least a vampire can, technically by the rules, be slain with magic weapons or spell damage as it's making an escape in it's mist form.
It cannot. Misty Escape specifies that, when it drops to 0 hp, instead of falling unconscious, it transforms to mist form, and destroyed if unable to transform. As death checks are not attempted until unconsciousness, the vampire cannot be killed unless its is unable to transform.
Now that's a very interesting argument, @Pantagruel, that the Vampire is effectively in a twilight of states that effectively makes it immune to death effects, save from perhaps sunlight (If I'm reading you correctly there).
Now that's a very interesting argument, @Pantagruel, that the Vampire is effectively in a twilight of states that effectively makes it immune to death effects, save from perhaps sunlight (If I'm reading you correctly there).
From what I have read, it seems that at the very least a vampire can, technically by the rules, be slain with magic weapons or spell damage as it's making an escape in it's mist form.
It cannot. Misty Escape specifies that, when it drops to 0 hp, instead of falling unconscious, it transforms to mist form, and destroyed if unable to transform. As death checks are not attempted until unconsciousness, the vampire cannot be killed unless its is unable to transform.
Related question, if you kill a vampire in most form what happens? Does the mist evaporate, does it form back into the body, does it return to the coffin dead dead…?
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From what I have read, it seems that at the very least a vampire can, technically by the rules, be slain with magic weapons or spell damage as it's making an escape in it's mist form. The question I'd ask is whether this is something most DM's would allow, or whether most perhaps feel the intent behind the rules is for the party to track the mist back to the lair & coffin for staking?
Also, if the group has a Sun Sword (Blade?) at their disposal and are able to put the vampire in a patch of daylight (from the swords radius) while at 0 hit points and in Mist Shape, should that kill them? I'm running 'Curse of Strahd' and planning ahead. Thanks very much in advance on this!
Yes to all, I think. Killing a vampire outright looks very doable with a Sun blade’s bright sunlight. If it can’t convert to mist form when it hits 0 hp, it is destroyed. As you said, it would take spells or magic weapons to kill it once it is in mist form because it is immune to nonmagical damage. It can’t take actions (which I would extend to Dashing as an action), but still gets movement and can get through any space air can. So it should still be easy to get away in many enclosed spaces with ventilation of some kind. (Up a chimney like santa claus looks like a good strategy.) But with a speed of only 20 ft in mist form, they should be catchable as well. But as the mist can’t travel in daylight, it seems it should be easy to lose in dark or foggy conditions. And a strategic vampire probably wouldn’t plan to be absent from the structure his burial ground was in during daylight. So the mist shouldn’t have far to go or have to travel by day.
It cannot. Misty Escape specifies that, when it drops to 0 hp, instead of falling unconscious, it transforms to mist form, and destroyed if unable to transform. As death checks are not attempted until unconsciousness, the vampire cannot be killed unless its is unable to transform.
Now that's a very interesting argument, @Pantagruel, that the Vampire is effectively in a twilight of states that effectively makes it immune to death effects, save from perhaps sunlight (If I'm reading you correctly there).
Sunlight or running water, but yes.
Related question, if you kill a vampire in most form what happens? Does the mist evaporate, does it form back into the body, does it return to the coffin dead dead…?