A vampire in mist form is reduced to 0 hitpoints. What happens?

[Skylivedk]

Hello GITP.

What happens when a vampire who has voluntarily changed into mist-form is reduced to 0 hitpoints?

Can the vampire be destroyed in this way? It cannot transform since it is already transformed, so I guess by RAW that is what happens.

If yes, does the vampire then evaporate? Or does it return to its corpse, dead?

Thanks.

[Unoriginal]

How did the vampire get damaged while in Mist Form?

If it's something that would have triggered Misty Escape, then the Vampire just goes back to their resting place, skipping the "must transform" step.

As the text says: "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"

[Skylivedk]

It was damaged by magic weapons.

Thank you for your response. What are you basing your interpretation on? And what cases are they then referring to with the cannot transform part?

[willdaBEAST]

Because the RAW specifies that the Vampire is destroyed only if it can't get back to it's resting place within 2 hours or if it's can't turn into mist in the first place (if it's in sunlight or running water), I don't think even magical weapons would kill it in mist form. At least that's how I'd rule it.

[Unoriginal]

What are you basing your interpretation on?

On the rules as they are written? It doesn't change anything if the vampire is already into mist form or if they're transformed by Misty Escape, it says that "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"

So no matter the reason why they're in mist form, if they are at 0 HP they must reach their resting place or be destroyed.

And what cases are they then referring to with the cannot transform part?

Sunlight and running water, as wildaBEAST said.


I don't think even magical weapons would kill it in mist form. At least that's how I'd rule it.

Magic weapons could damage the vampire while in mist form, but once they get 0 HP Misty Escape triggers and the Vampire escapes to their resting place. The mist can't be damaged past 0 HP, but anything preventing the mist from reaching the place on time destroys the vampire.

[Skylivedk]

Thank you, guys, that's fantastic. That means that instead of an unlikely victory, my 6-level party has created a mortal enemy that can stalk them for years to come... And it's not even Friday

[Unoriginal]

tTbf I'm not sure which magic weapons could damage the mist form.

[MaxWilson]

I don't see anything in the text that says the mist can't be damaged past 0 HP. It just says that it transforms "instead of falling Unconscious" and that "it can't revert to its vampire form, and it must reach its Resting place within 2 hours or be destroyed". To me this says only that the vampire can take actions while at 0 HP; and as DM I'd further rule that it stabilizes every round if it did not take radiant damage or damage from holy water. But that's just my call as a DM--by RAW they still have to make death saves. And certainly nothing at all says the vampire is immune to death by massive damage from AoEs, or to magical weapons.

FWIW, I have allowed a vampire in mist form to be slain by an adult red dragon's breath weapon, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

[Unoriginal]

NPCs don't have to make saving throws unless the DM wishes to.

[Coffee_Dragon]

The real question here is, if you True Polymorph mist into a vampire, then reduce it to 0 hit points, does it turn into mist or does it turn into mist

[MarkVIIIMarc]

Ass an add on, can I disperse the mist using Thunderwave?
Perhaps trap in in whats his name's tiny hut?
Or anything to keep it from returning?

[Zanthy1]

Ass an add on, can I disperse the mist using Thunderwave?
Perhaps trap in in whats his name's tiny hut?
Or anything to keep it from returning?

If the DM permits thunderwave to affect it, sure.
No on the hut, if you allow it into the hut, it can leave freely.
Gust of wind for sure would blow the mist, but keeping that going for 2 hours....idk

[KorvinStarmast]

Radiant damage to mist form works, does it not?

[suplee215]

Ass an add on, can I disperse the mist using Thunderwave?
Perhaps trap in in whats his name's tiny hut?
Or anything to keep it from returning?

Thunderwave and Tiny Hut probably not. Tiny Hut cannot trap anything inside of it, just allow creatures to pass it and RAW dispersing the mist does nothing.

[Zanthy1]

Radiant damage to mist form works, does it not?

I do not believe there is anything say that it does or does not, in my mind though, I cannot see radiant damage doing anything to mist.

[cougon]

This thought just occurred to me and I'm away from book, so unable to check if this would even work. Mist is water vapor, so would it be possible to bless it or something, in essence turning it into holy water in vapor form, thereby killing the vampire?

[Zanthy1]

This thought just occurred to me and I'm away from book, so unable to check if this would even work. Mist is water vapor, so would it be possible to bless it or something, in essence turning it into holy water in vapor form, thereby killing the vampire?

There is no official ruling for or against this, I'd say thats totally up to your DM.

[No brains]

The real question here is, if you True Polymorph mist into a vampire, then reduce it to 0 hit points, does it turn into mist or does it turn into mist

Nice! :smallbiggrin:

What do you say when a vampire rolls too low to hit the spellcaster about to DoT it to zero hp? "It mist."

[Zman]

Was it specifically any of the things that can permanently kill the Vampire? No? Then nothing, it's still mist and heading towards its lair.

Personally, I like describing it as a amalgamous blog of mist that is temporarily spread out and reforms as it drifts. My last campaign that led the part to pound it with fireballs etc to no avail until it escaped through dracks in a building into the night.

[NecroDancer]

This is why you need to buy a fantasy handheld vacuum (iron flasks also work).