Oh, yeah! Doesn’t it feel good going all the way back to 1985. Coca-Cola announced it was changing its formula. Windows 1.0 hit the market. Blockbuster and Pap John’s Pizza were founded (I see a correlation there). And, the D&D module Baltron’s Beacon I7 (9152) was released. Not a bad adventure as modules go for 4-8 level characters. It was the first module to put New Monsters at the front!
But we’re here to talk about monsters and so we shall. The one we’re talking about today, and I’ve done a bit of research, is called the Vampire Mist. It doesn’t seem to appear in any of the books (new or old), only the module.
The thing I love about this monster is that it takes magic items to fight it, but as it feeds it gets strong and takes on substance and then can be fought with regular weapons. Kind of cool. Anyway, here’s the specs. Let us know if you use it in a dungeon.
| VAMPIRE MIST FREQUENCY: Rare NO. APPEARING: 1-3 ARMOR CLASS: 4 (8) MOVE: 12 “(6” after feeding) HIT DICE: 3 % IN LAIR: 60% TREASURE TYPE: E NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-8 SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below INTELLIGENCE: Average ALIGNMENT: Neutral evil SIZE: M PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil Attack/Defense Modes: Nil/Nil LEVEL/XP VALUE: IV/280 + 3 per hp |  |
The vampire mist is related to the crimson death and is suspected to be the immature form of that horror. It appears as a pale cloud, normally 5-8 feet in diameter but variable in size and density. It is encountered only in bogs, swamps, and similar chill and damp places, including dank subterranean areas.
Healthy vampire mists have maximum hit points (8 per die) but are almost never encountered in this state. A mist loses 1 hp for every 12 hours without feeding and is thus always hungry when encountered wandering. It regains hit
points by enveloping its victim with its gaseous tendrils, and draining the victim’s fluids, turning a pink hue after feeding. The mist regains 1 hit point for each 2 points of blood drained, but this is not regeneration.
Though this is the mist’s primary reason for attacking, it is quite capable of defending itself even when fully sated. The slightest touch of its airy tendril inflicts 1-8 points of damage, draining blood that the monster simply discards.
Non-magical protections are usually of no value against the mist’s attacks. Character types are thus treated as base AC 10, modified only by Dexterity and magical protections (shields having no effect).
If the mist’s hit roll is 4 or greater than the minimum needed, its enveloping attempt is successful. No further hit rolls are needed; the mist automatically inflicts 1d8 points of damage each round thereafter until it flees or is slain. If the mist is struck while its victim is enveloped, the damage from the blow is divided evenly between the victim and the mist. An enveloped victim may attack the mist physically, without risk of sharing the damage. However, the enveloping damage is constant, disrupting concentration, and thus preventing the victim’s use of spells and most magical devices.
A mist can normally be damaged only by magical weapons and spells that affect air, including lightning and magic missile spells. After feeding, however, the monster takes on substance; it slows to 6″ rate, its Armor Class drops to 8, and it can then be damaged by normal weapons.
Theras Freman was born in the early 1970s and grew up in a small town in rural America. From a young age, he developed a fascination with fantasy and science fiction literature, devouring everything from J.R.R. Tolkien to Isaac Asimov.
In the decades that followed, Theras continued to be a prominent figure in the D&D community. He maintained a popular blog where he shared his insights and advice on all things related to the game, and he was a fixture at gaming conventions and other events.
To this day, Theras remains one of the most respected voices in the world of D&D and other tabletop roleplaying games. His passion for the hobby has never waned, and he continues to share his expertise with anyone willing to listen.
