Failing Gaseous Form 101

[Altair_the_Vexed]

I just ran an encounter for my group with a Vampire Spawn who elected to turn gaseous and escape. I don't know if I handled it right, but I'm going to let it stand, for simplicity's sake. Also, I'm the DM, so of course I was right.

In the PHB entry for Gaseous Form, we're told that you gain damage reduction 10 / magic. It doesn't mention any incorporeal-style miss chance... but it seems to me that there ought to be a miss chance. It's a cloud of gas, right?

If we don't have a miss chance, does that mean that a guy with a +1 Net can trap a gas cloud and stop it escaping?

I don't think this a is a RAW question, it seems more like a matter of opinion to me. Prove me wrong if you know better, please. I'm curious to know what other DMs have done.

[Mad Wizard]

Well, for one thing, the person with the net couldn't catch it because it says in the spell description that the gaseous person can slip through tiny holes IIRC.

Edit: from the spell description:

It can pass through small holes or narrow openings, even mere cracks, with all it was wearing or holding in its hands, as long as the spell persists.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

As with an air elemental, you just have to assume there is some semi-solid force holding a gasseous creature together.

[Wolfwood2]

I just ran an encounter for my group with a Vampire Spawn who elected to turn gaseous and escape. I don't know if I handled it right, but I'm going to let it stand, for simplicity's sake. Also, I'm the DM, so of course I was right.

In the PHB entry for Gaseous Form, we're told that you gain damage reduction 10 / magic. It doesn't mention any incorporeal-style miss chance... but it seems to me that there ought to be a miss chance. It's a cloud of gas, right?

As pointed out, so is an Air Elemental and they don't have a miss chance. Really, I think a miss chance is inappropriate because they're not incorporeal.

By the way, with a lousy 10 foot movement in gaseous form how were the Vampire Spawn able to escape? I'm guessing they trickled under a locked door and then shifted back to normal form to run faster.

[Fixer]

If you throw a net at a gaseous creature with 10/magic damage reduction the net will (momentarily) 'capture' that gaseous creature on the attacker's turn.

On the gaseous creature's turn, they simply pass through the holes in the net and move on as if it was never captured in the first place.

In descriptive terms: the net hit them, slowed slightly as it passed through their body, and fell to the floor.

[Aquillion]

Hmm. It's kind of a pity Gaseous Form only works on willing targets... it would be an interesting spell to use offensively (with a saving throw to the victim, naturally.) Of course, Baleful Gaseous Form would probably have to be much higher level with a much shorter duration... it would essentially be taking someone out out of the fight completely for as long as it lasts (and they can still be hit and often won't be able to escape!) so it'd pretty much be a save-or-die... close to Baleful Polymorph in power, but maybe not quite as overwhelming (since the victim can fly, slip into small crevices or cracks to hide or escape, and take some actions.) In any case, I like the potential for "Poof, you're a harmless ghost!" flavor.