So I was playing in a game, and we had to fight some vampires. So the party wizard goes into a corner of the room, and starts preparing his spells for the day. He comes back, saying that he is confident of taking down these vampires. First thing he does is cast shadow projection, allowing him to chase down the two vampires into a crevice they misted themselves into. The next thing he does is cast Aqueous Orb. Now we all know that vampires have an aversion to running water. And Aqueous Orb is described as, "A rolling sphere of churning water that can engulf those it strikes." He hits the vampires with it, and they end up inside this orb, that is obviously running water. What happens to the vampires?
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From the vampire description
Each round of immersion in running water inflicts damage on a vampire equal to one-third of its maximum hit points—a vampire reduced to 0 hit points in this manner is destroyed.
Thank you
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As a GM, I would personally rule that it has no effect beyond what the spell describes. In my mind the orb does not fit the criteria of being running water, so would not cause extra damage to them. Vampires do not breath so it cannot suffocate it. Undead are immune to non-lethal damage so it doesn't cause that either.
Really all it can do is trap and engulf the vampire in my opinion.
Running water is usually assumed to be naturally free flowing water. If all that was necessary for it to qualify as running water is movement than almost any container of water would do. I think it should be more difficult to kill a vampire than just dumping him in a pool and stirring the water a bit. To qualify as running water the water has to be one moving freely with no other outside source of movement. This prevents things like sprinklers and firehoses from counting as running water. Also to be counted as running water nothing can be stopping it from flowing naturally.
Since the spell is containing the water in a sphere it does not qualify as running water. The spell is also the source of the waters movement so that would also disqualify it.
vampire bob: "damnit, it's raining again! i can't leave my dreary castle or risk death in seconds AGAIN!"
"Running water" is a stream, river, etc. Not just any source of water that is moving.
Otherwise you could argue that emptying a cleaning bucket over his head to cost him 1/3 or his HP.
That makes a decanter of endless water pretty potent. ;)
It's too bad you can't change the orb into holy water.
That makes a decanter of endless water pretty potent. ;)
If a good cleric made it and blessed it, would it be a Decanter of Endless Holy Water? That would be in every vampire hunter's arsenal
That makes a decanter of endless water pretty potent. ;)If a good cleric made it and blessed it, would it be a Decanter of Endless Holy Water? That would be in every vampire hunter's arsenal
Add on 2,500 gp plus whatever cost for the spell x decanter's CL x2,000 for use-activated, yep, you now have a portable fire hydrant of vampire obliteration.