My PCs encountered a vampire. The barbarian successfully trips the vampire and then grabs her.
Que the vampires turn and I am thinking about using the vampires special vapor form, Turn To Mist to get rid of the conditions - there is nothing preventing the vampire using it, it's not even manipulate.
But some of my well-versed-in-rules players seemed to really dislike it, mainly the "free" getting up (which I countered with the polymorph trait, you are getting magically reformed).
In my book it still costs 2 actions (physical to gas then gas to physical) same as removing the grabbed and then Standing up would, it does bypass rolling the fortitude check and any reactive strikes though.
your players are worried about their pcs and are emotionally attached to them. your logic is fine, this is a fucking vampire. they turn to mist at will.
Truth
Yeah. What's the point of a vampire if they ain't scary in some way? And nothing seems to be more scary to a dndfinder player than a monster that breaks their turn pattern.