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Just for a clear concept the players are Vampires and they are about to face a Beholder.

A Vampire has the Undead Type Traits: (p317 MM)

  • No Constitution score
  • Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless)

The Disintegrate spell (p222 PHB) effects objects and states:

A creature or object that makes a Fortitude save is partially affected, taking only 5d6 points of damage

When a Vampire PC gets hit with Disintegrate, does it make a Fortitude saving throw? If so, what is the equation for this save?

If the Vampire were an enemy or NPC, would the result be any different?

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Welcome to rpg.se! Take the tour and visit the help center for additional guidance. This is a pretty good first question with all the relevant rules and tags included. Well done! Thanks for participating and happy gaming! \$\endgroup\$
    – linksassin ♦
    May 3, 2019 at 2:16

2 Answers 2

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The vampire makes a Fortitude saving throw with no bonus or penalty from Constitution.

Undead are immune to effects that require a fortitude save unless the effect can target objects (or is harmless). Disintegrate can target objects, so vampires are not immune to it.

The vampire would use its fortitude saving throw from classes and hit dice. It has no constitution score so it does not receive any bonus or penalty on its fortitude save from constitution.

There are very few effects in the game that care whether a creature is a player character or NPC, and those effects explicitly indicate how it makes a difference.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ This is what I was thinking. "If so, what is the save" I should have just asked "If so, is the save based off of just class without any previous constitution modifier?" \$\endgroup\$
    – Nomad
    May 3, 2019 at 2:44
  • \$\begingroup\$ @ObliviousSage Thank you so much for your all of your input! I can't believe how prompt and helpful you were all able to answer this. It seems the Beholder isn't well equipped to face Vampires... at least not on its own. \$\endgroup\$
    – Nomad
    May 3, 2019 at 3:27
  • \$\begingroup\$ In the words of the X-Men movie: "The same thing that happens to everything else that gets hit with the Disintegrate spell." \$\endgroup\$
    – Yora
    May 3, 2019 at 14:07
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Yes, it does.

Because of null Constitution, undead creatures are immune to any effect that requires a Fortitude save unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless and disintegrate, while not harmless, also works on objects therefore it works normally on undead such as vampires.

If so, what is the save?

Your own question holds the answer for it, it's a Fortitude Save, the save of the Disintegrate spell.

If the Vampire were an enemy or NPC would the result be any different?

I can't remember any spell in D&D 3.5 that treat a creature any different for being a PC or NPC, there's a skill though, but it isn't relevant here.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Is it also worth mentioning whether or not reducing a vampire's hp to 0 with a disintegrate effect actually destroys the vampire? Or is that a different question? \$\endgroup\$
    – Hey I Can Chan
    May 3, 2019 at 2:33
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    \$\begingroup\$ @HeyICanChan I think it would be a different question. I already saw that question before, but I don't remember if it was in this SE. \$\endgroup\$
    – Aguinaldo Silvestre
    May 3, 2019 at 2:35
  • \$\begingroup\$ @HeyICanChan The result of reaching 0 HP from Disintegrate is the Vampire entering Gaseous Form per "Fast Healing (ex)" and then having to retreat to its Lair. \$\endgroup\$
    – Nomad
    May 3, 2019 at 3:00
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Nomad I'm pretty sure it's up to the DM, although that's a fine way to play it. \$\endgroup\$
    – Hey I Can Chan
    May 3, 2019 at 13:14

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