Hello Hivemind, I have some questions and hope to glean some information from you all. If you put a vampire into it's MIST FORM what happens if you damage the MIST FORM when it is attempting to flee to it's coffin. Like if you swing with a magic weapon? Cast a spell at it? What if the damage is radiant damage? No where in the Vampire description does it say what happens when this occurs... it says you can still damage it with magical attacks, but it is already at 0 HP and fleeing...
Also, any combat suggestions? ;)
MIST FORM - Misty Escape. When it drops to 0 hit points outside its resting place, the vampire transforms into a cloud of mist (as in the Shapechanger trait) instead of falling unconscious, provided that it isn't in sunlight or running water. If it can't transform, it is destroyed. While it has 0 hit points in mist form, it can't revert to its vampire form, and it must reach its resting place within 2 hours or be destroyed. Once in its resting place, it reverts to its vampire form. It is then paralyzed until it regains at least 1 hit point. After spending 1 hour in its resting place with 0 hit points, it regains 1 hit point.
Also, can a Vampire be cured? can a Vampire Spawn be cured? If so, for either, how so?
So you could run this any way you like as DM, it’s your game. The rules as written would allow for last second kills of a vampire in that fashion but only if it were the death by massive dmg type. At least that’s my interpretation of the rules as written.
So that fireball better hit for a good bit.
However, the reason the vampire does the whole “collapse into mist” bit is so that it can be defeated without being destroyed. That gives the DM a bbeg that can learn from its mistakes and come back better prepared to deal with the party.
The aspect of misty escape that I think gives it its real punch is that the vampire can then squeeze through anything air can go through and it has a 20 ft move speed per turn. So have it go through the floor or get between the bricks in a wall to hide. At this point the vampire knows it’s been beaten, and knows that these people might just end its existence.
Fear can be a powerful motivator.
I also wouldn’t tell the PCs how many hit points the vampire has, then you get the meta game situation of the sorcerer or wizard holding action with the zap spell, like you describe.
I was thinking,... what would happen if the vampire went into mist form and as it is fleeing a player casts a radiant damage spell on it? Would it die? or still flee?
Vampires are really hard to get rid of permanently. Outside of their resting place they can't be killed and can only be destroyed if you reduce them to zero hit points while in sunlight or running water, or if you can somehow prevent them from reaching their resting place inside of two hours. While at zero hit points further damage does nothing, no matter what the source or kind, unless the DM decides otherwise.
While in their mist form during Misty Escape you can always try to follow them, they don't move all that fast, they can't even Dash (that's an Action) and they probably don't want to lead you to their resting place, but they only have two hours to try and lose you.
They cannot perform Misty Escape while inside their resting place. If you can catch a Vampire inside its resting place and reduce it to zero hit points that will kill them.
The Monster Manual says that Player Characters can be cured of Vampirism with a Wish spell or by killing them (they will have to be inside their resting place for that) and then bringing them back to life. How it works for Non Player Characters is entirely up to the DM.
Hello Hivemind,
I have some questions and hope to glean some information from you all.
If you put a vampire into it's MIST FORM what happens if you damage the MIST FORM when it is attempting to flee to it's coffin. Like if you swing with a magic weapon? Cast a spell at it? What if the damage is radiant damage? No where in the Vampire description does it say what happens when this occurs... it says you can still damage it with magical attacks, but it is already at 0 HP and fleeing...
Also, any combat suggestions? ;)
MIST FORM - Misty Escape. When it drops to 0 hit points outside its resting place, the vampire transforms into a cloud of mist (as in the Shapechanger trait) instead of falling unconscious, provided that it isn't in sunlight or running water. If it can't transform, it is destroyed. While it has 0 hit points in mist form, it can't revert to its vampire form, and it must reach its resting place within 2 hours or be destroyed. Once in its resting place, it reverts to its vampire form. It is then paralyzed until it regains at least 1 hit point. After spending 1 hour in its resting place with 0 hit points, it regains 1 hit point.
Also, can a Vampire be cured? can a Vampire Spawn be cured? If so, for either, how so?
Thanks for your help,
~Mad
So you could run this any way you like as DM, it’s your game. The rules as written would allow for last second kills of a vampire in that fashion but only if it were the death by massive dmg type. At least that’s my interpretation of the rules as written.
So that fireball better hit for a good bit.
However, the reason the vampire does the whole “collapse into mist” bit is so that it can be defeated without being destroyed. That gives the DM a bbeg that can learn from its mistakes and come back better prepared to deal with the party.
The aspect of misty escape that I think gives it its real punch is that the vampire can then squeeze through anything air can go through and it has a 20 ft move speed per turn. So have it go through the floor or get between the bricks in a wall to hide. At this point the vampire knows it’s been beaten, and knows that these people might just end its existence.
Fear can be a powerful motivator.
I also wouldn’t tell the PCs how many hit points the vampire has, then you get the meta game situation of the sorcerer or wizard holding action with the zap spell, like you describe.
either way, I hope you have fun with it!
I was thinking,... what would happen if the vampire went into mist form and as it is fleeing a player casts a radiant damage spell on it? Would it die? or still flee?
~Mad
Also, can a Vampire be cured? can a Vampire Spawn be cured? If so, for either, how so?
Any other people out there?
~Mad
Vampires are really hard to get rid of permanently. Outside of their resting place they can't be killed and can only be destroyed if you reduce them to zero hit points while in sunlight or running water, or if you can somehow prevent them from reaching their resting place inside of two hours. While at zero hit points further damage does nothing, no matter what the source or kind, unless the DM decides otherwise.
While in their mist form during Misty Escape you can always try to follow them, they don't move all that fast, they can't even Dash (that's an Action) and they probably don't want to lead you to their resting place, but they only have two hours to try and lose you.
They cannot perform Misty Escape while inside their resting place. If you can catch a Vampire inside its resting place and reduce it to zero hit points that will kill them.
The Monster Manual says that Player Characters can be cured of Vampirism with a Wish spell or by killing them (they will have to be inside their resting place for that) and then bringing them back to life. How it works for Non Player Characters is entirely up to the DM.
<Insert clever signature here>
Thanks for the input... not sure how our DM will handle it, but lets hope the dice Gods are in my favor in the coming adventures.
~Mad